On Valentine’s Day, drivers for Uber (UBER.N), Lyft (LYFT.O), and DoorDash (DASH.O) are expected to strike across the United States for fair pay, according to drivers’ groups on Monday. The coordinated protest aims to highlight the drivers’ demands and draw attention to the issues they face.
About a week after Lyft announced its groundbreaking guarantee of weekly earnings for drivers, the demonstrations are scheduled to take place. This move, a first in the US ride-hailing industry, is aimed at attracting more drivers to its platform.
“We are constantly working to improve the driver experience,” Lyft told Reuters on Monday. The company is scheduled to report quarterly results on Tuesday.
The independent contractor drivers accuse the platforms of imposing excessively high commissions.
“This is the biggest strike I’ve ever seen, thousands and thousands of drivers… it’s going to be nationwide,” says Jonathan Cruz, a Miami driver. He is a member of the Justice For App Workers coalition, which represents over 100,000 drivers.
Uber mentioned that a minimal number of its drivers engage in strikes, seldom affecting business.
On earnings call with analysts last week, Uber CEO Dara Khosrowshahi stated that drivers in the US earned approximately $33 per utilized hour in the fourth quarter. Additionally, he highlighted the positive financial performance of drivers during that period.
While many drivers sign up with these companies to supplement their income from other jobs, some work full-time for the platforms.
“A year into algorithmic pricing, drivers have seen an incredible decrease in our pay… whatever calculations and algorithms they’re using, it’s absolutely useless,” Nicole Moore, president of the California-based Rideshare Drivers United union, told Reuters on Sunday.
In 2023, Uber drivers’ monthly average gross earnings decreased by 17.1%, as analyzed by Gridwise, a company specializing in gig mobility data. In contrast, Lyft drivers could expect a 2.5% increase in their earnings during the same period.
“By not paying drivers a livable wage, drivers are barely able to afford the bare necessities,” said Shantwan Humphrey, a Dallas, Texas-based driver.
DoorDash did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
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