Thousands of American ride-hailing workers are planning to take part in a strike on Wednesday. Drivers for Uber and Lyft will demonstrate at major U.S. airports in cities including Chicago, Philadelphia, Pittsburgh, Miami, Orlando, Tampa, Hartford, Newark, Austin, and Providence. The strike, organized by Justice for App Workers, is intended to campaign for better wages and benefits.
Drivers involved have voiced their concerns over the constant decline in payment rates and increasing commissions for the companies. Lazaro Lopez and Jonathan Cruz, two of the mobilized drivers, emphasized how much the situation has deteriorated. Despite assurances from Uber and Lyft that most drivers are satisfied, workers feel that the percentage guaranteed is not enough to compensate for their struggles.
Uber commented on the potential impact of the strike, saying that they do not expect much impact on their operations, as previous similar events have rarely affected rides, pricing, or driver availability. Gumpert described ride-hailing as a “mobile sweatshop”, with some workers routinely putting in 60 to 80 hours a week. Justice for App Workers, which represents 130,000 transportation and delivery workers, is campaigning for higher wages, access to health care, and an appeals process so companies can’t turn them off without notice.
Gumpert said last year’s strikes at U.S. automakers, which led to more lucrative contracts for their unionized workers, helped embolden ride-hailing workers to stand up for their rights. This latest strike is expected to be the largest yet in the campaign for better working conditions for ride-hailing drivers.