Thousands of drivers from ride-hailing platforms Uber, Lyft, and food delivery app DoorDash will strike across the U.S. on Valentine’s Day to demand fair wages, driver groups announced Monday.
The call for a strike is the first since Uber and Lyft went public in 2019, with two of the groups announcing drivers will picket at airports and outside Uber offices.
The strike is scheduled to take place about a week after Lyft announced that if a driver makes less than 70% of what a passenger pays each week, after outside fees, it will pay the difference.
Lyft, which is scheduled to report quarterly results on Tuesday, told Reuters on Monday that it is “constantly working to improve the driver experience.”
Drivers, who are considered independent contractors, have accused the platform of receiving unreasonably high fees.
The Justice for App Workers coalition, which represents about 130,000 drivers and couriers, said drivers will no longer provide round-trip rides. Airports in 10 U.S. cities are open from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m..
“By not paying drivers a living wage, they are barely making ends meet,” said Shantoine Humphrey, a driver in Dallas, Texas.
Many drivers sign up with these companies to supplement their income from other jobs, while others drive full-time for the platform.
“In the first year of algorithmic pricing, drivers have been paid an incredible amount less,” Nicole Moore, president of the California-based Rideshare Drivers United union, told Reuters on Sunday. No matter what calculations or algorithms they used, they were completely useless.”
According to Gridwise, which analyzes gig mobility data, Uber drivers’ average monthly gross income decreased by 17.1% in 2023, while Lyft drivers’ average monthly gross income increased by 2.5%.
“Driver earnings continue to be strong, with U.S. drivers earning approximately $33 per hour worked as of the fourth quarter of 2023,” Uber said. Most of the company’s drivers say they are satisfied with the compensation they receive.
DoorDash did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
