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| title = 2019 Lyft and Uber drivers' strikes
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| date = March 25, 2019 and May 8, 2019
| place= United States ({{hlist|[[Los Angeles]]|[[San Diego]]|[[San Francisco]]|[[Boston]]|[[Chicago]]|[[London]][[Minneapolis]]|[[Philadelphia]]|[[Stamford, Connecticut|Stamford]]|[[Washington, D.C.]]}})
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| causes = Low pay, cut wages, no shareholding opportunities, no benefits
| methods = [[Demonstration (protest)|Demonstrations]], [[internet activism]], [[walkout]]
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| side1= {{ubl | Blackcar Drivers United | Chicago Rideshare Advocates | Gig Workers Rising | [[Industrial Workers of the World]] | Philadelphia Drivers Union | Philadelphia Limousine Association | Rideshare Drivers United }}
| side2= {{ubl|[[Lyft]]|[[Uber]]}}
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A series of [[general strike]]s was coordinated on March 25, 2019 by [[Lyft]] and [[Uber]] drivers in Los Angeles, San Diego and San Francisco, [[California]], United States led by rideshare advocate group [[Rideshare Drivers United]].<ref name="stallworth">{{cite web |last1=Stallworth |first1=Leo |title=Rideshare drivers hoping to unionize, force companies to improve pay |url=https://abc7.com/traffic/rideshare-drivers-hoping-to-unionize-force-companies-to-improve-pay/5113751/ |website=[[KABC-TV]] |accessdate=May 1, 2019 |date=January 30, 2019}}</ref> The strikes aimed to protest low wages, long hours, working conditions, and lack of benefits. The event was planned following [[Lyft]]'s [[initial public offering]]. A second strike took place on May 8, 2019 in anticipation of [[Uber]]'s initial public offering.<ref name=":0">{{Cite web |last=Staff |first=By CNN Business |date=2019-05-08 |title=Live updates: Uber and Lyft strike for better pay |url=https://www.cnn.com/business/live-news/uber-lyft-strike-may-2019/index.html |access-date=2022-04-01 |website=CNN |language=en}}</ref> The strike in response to Uber's [[Initial public offering|IPO]] took place in 25 major cities across the United States, and were also joined by drivers in other locations worldwide where Uber operates.
== Background ==
Both Lyft and Uber are [[ridesharing companies]]. Drivers, serve as independent contractors to Uber and Lyft and provide rides to individuals, similar to taxicab companies. Users are able to request or drive for both companies by downloading a smartphone app. Drivers are required to undergo an initial background check and [[vehicle inspection]] to make sure they are properly licensed and have a vehicle that is adequate for the company's standards. Drivers then link to a banking account so that Uber and Lyft can pay drivers for their service. A certain proportion of the rider’s fare goes to the company for administrative support while another goes to the driver for providing the trip.{{Citation needed|date=May 2019}}
In addition, both companies offer various transportation services beyond peer-to-peer ridesharing. Uber offers food delivery service via [[Uber Eats]],<ref>{{Cite web|last=Carson|first=Biz|title=Uber's GrubHub killer is finally in the US — here's the inside story on its big bet on food|url=https://www.businessinsider.com/why-uber-launched-uber-eats-2016-3|access-date=2020-11-10|website=Business Insider}}</ref> and in select cities, Lyft offers [[Scooter-sharing system|scooter sharing]] (similar to [[Lime (transportation company)|Lime]] and [[Bird (company)|Bird]]).<ref>{{Cite web|last=Inc|first=Lyft|title=Electric scooter share near you {{!}} Lyft Scooters|url=https://www.lyft.com/scooters|access-date=2020-11-10|website=Lyft|language=en-US}}</ref>
Both companies, while having multi-billion dollar investments have alleged to be perpetually losing money, with the goal of investors not to make money, but to capture the market share of transportation services, particularly as a replacement to personal automobile use and [[mass transportation]] use. The launch of Lyft's [[initial public offering]] (IPO) and
The planned strikes came in response to Lyft's decision to go public as a for-profit corporation, while Uber followed suit later that year. The rationale is that most, if not all of Uber and Lyft's profits are income derived from drivers who work for low wages, no benefits, and who are misclassified workers, rather than earned by executives who manage infrastructure.<ref>{{cite web |last1=Karlis |first1=Nicole |title=Uber drivers plan to strike next week in anticipation of IPO |url=https://www.salon.com/2019/04/25/uber-drivers-plan-to-strike-on-the-same-day-the-company-goes-public/ |website=[[Salon (website)|Salon]] |accessdate=April 30, 2019 |date=April 25, 2019}}</ref>
Both companies increased the cost of the service in the second quarter of 2019<ref>{{Cite web |date=2021-07-19 |title=Stimulus And Unemployment Checks Aren’t Keeping Uber And Lyft Drivers Away, It’s The Work Conditions |url=https://westcoasttriallawyers.com/stimulus-and-unemployment-checks-arent-keeping-uber-and-lyft-drivers-away-its-the-work-conditions/ |access-date=2022-04-01 |website= |language=en-US}}</ref> with an increase of 79 percent in Uber price alone.<ref>{{Cite news |last=Rana |first=Preetika |date=2021-07-02 |title=Uber, Lyft Sweeten Job Perks Amid Driver Shortage, Lofty Fares |language=en-US |work=Wall Street Journal |url=https://www.wsj.com/articles/uber-lyft-sweeten-job-perks-amid-driver-shortage-lofty-fares-11625223601 |access-date=2022-04-01 |issn=0099-9660}}</ref>
==Strikes==
The first major 24-hour strike was held simultaneously, in Los Angeles, San Diego and San Francisco on March 25, 2019,<ref>{{cite web |last1=Holder |first1=Sarah |title=Why L.A.’s Ride-Hail Drivers Went on Strike |url=https://www.citylab.com/transportation/2019/03/uber-lyft-nyc-la-driver-wage-strike/585715/ |website=[[Citylab]] |publisher=[[Emerson Collective]] |accessdate=May 1, 2019}}</ref> the day Lyft went public and following a pay-cut announcement from Uber.<ref name="fobes mar 25">{{cite web |last1=Burns |first1=Janet |title=Uber And Lyft Drivers Strike In LA After Yet Another Uber Pay Cut |url=https://www.forbes.com/sites/janetwburns/2019/03/25/uber-and-lyft-drivers-strike-in-la-after-yet-another-pay-cut/#7719cbc126e4 |website=[[Forbes]] |accessdate=April 30, 2019 |date=March 25, 2019}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |last1=Hawkins |first1=Andrew J. |title=Lyft Drivers Strike as the Money-losing Company Goes Public |url=https://www.theverge.com/2019/3/29/18286873/lyft-ipo-share-price-driver-protest-future |website=[[The Verge]] |publisher=[[Vox Media]] |accessdate=April 30, 2019 |date=March 29, 2019}}</ref> This prompted both companies to announced financial allocations for driver bonuses,<ref>{{Cite web |title=Uber and Lyft Can’t Find Drivers Because Gig Work Sucks |url=https://www.vice.com/en/article/7kvej4/uber-and-lyft-cant-find-drivers-because-gig-work-sucks |access-date=2022-04-01 |website=www.vice.com |language=en}}</ref> which the [[Rideshare Drivers United (California)|California based Rideshare Drivers United]] union says is inadequate, and still only amounts to a pay of $8.55 per hour. As of mid 2019, all bonuses offered were removed from drivers pay incentives, including the drivers share of Ubers’s “surge”, or Lyft’s “prime” pricing for passengers during busy commute times. The companies still charge riders the higher fares, but have stopped sharing those profits with drivers. <ref name="cbs apr 25">{{cite web |last1=Gibson |first1=Kate |title=Uber and Lyft drivers plan 24-hour strike to protest pay |url=https://www.cbsnews.com/news/uber-lyft-drivers-plan-24-hour-strike-to-protest-pay/ |website=[[CBS]] |accessdate=April 30, 2019 |date=April 25, 2019}}</ref>
After drivers’ earlier strike against Lyft, a second 24 hour strike was planned on May 8, 2019.<ref name=":0" /> This strike included not just California drivers, but drivers from 25 major cities across the US, and was also joined by several other international locations where Uber operates, inciting a highly publicized worldwide strike against Uber Technologies, Inc.
== Demands ==
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