12 February 2024
(The Hill) — Ride-sharing and delivery drivers are planning on striking across several U.S. cities located near airports on Valentine’s Day.
Justice for App Workers — a national coalition of ride-sharing and delivery drivers — announced last week its plans to strike Wednesday. The coalition wrote that the workers are calling for fair wages and safety measures, among other things.
The coalition said in the press release that drivers should not need to worry about making ends meet or about possibly being deactivated from apps. The coalition is urging people to join drivers at the rallies to “demand changes from Uber, Lyft, DoorDash, and all the app companies profiting off of our hard work.”
The coalition said those striking will not be taking rides to and from the airport all day in Rhode Island and the cities of Austin, Chicago, Hartford, Miami, Newark, Orlando, Philadelphia, Pittsburgh and Tampa.
Uber emphasized in a statement to The Hill that earnings for drivers are “strong.” A spokesperson for the company noted that the strike should not impact price and driver availability, adding that Uber saw an increase in trips during last year’s strike on Valentine’s Day.
“Driver earnings remain strong, and as of Q4 2023, drivers in the U.S. were making about $33 per utilized hour,” Uber’s statement read.
Uber announced updated processes last year for deactivating a driver’s account, which include creating a pathway to review deactivation decisions, protecting drivers from false allegations and helping those who were falsely accused of driving under the influence of drugs or alcohol get back to driving through submitting a drug test.
Lyft also said in a statement to The Hill that it has improved its own deactivation process. The company recently announced new changes to its driver program, including guaranteeing at least 70 percent of riders’ fares to the driver after external fees and being able to appeal a deactivation decision in the Lyft driver app.
“We are constantly working to improve the driver experience, which is why just this month we released a series of new offers and commitments aimed at increasing driver pay and transparency,” Lyft’s statement said.
“This includes a new minimum earnings guarantee and an improved deactivation appeals process. Now, drivers will always make at least 70 percent of the weekly rider fares after external fees. It’s all part of our new customer-obsessed focus on drivers,” the statement continued.
The Hill has reached out to DoorDash for comment.