2019 Lyft and Uber drivers' strikes: Difference between revisions

Revision as of 01:35, 30 January 2025

Latest revision as of 19:36, 12 May 2025

Line 38:

==Strikes==

The first major 24-hour strike was held simultaneously, in Los Angeles, San Diego and San Francisco on March 25, 2019,<ref>{{cite news |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]] |date=March 26, 2019 |publisher=[[Emerson Collective]] |accessdate=May 1, 2019 |archive-date=May 1, 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190501002455/https://www.citylab.com/transportation/2019/03/uber-lyft-nyc-la-driver-wage-strike/585715/ |url-status=live }}</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 |archive-date=May 9, 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190509023043/https://www.forbes.com/sites/janetwburns/2019/03/25/uber-and-lyft-drivers-strike-in-la-after-yet-another-pay-cut/#7719cbc126e4 |url-status=live }}</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 |archive-date=May 1, 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190501002456/https://www.theverge.com/2019/3/29/18286873/lyft-ipo-share-price-driver-protest-future |url-status=live }}</ref> This prompted both companies to announced financial allocations for driver bonuses,<ref>{{Cite web |last=Ongweso Jr |first=Edward |date=July 8, 2021 |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/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220401005617/https://www.vice.com/en/article/7kvej4/uber-and-lyft-cant-find-drivers-because-gig-work-sucks |archive-date=April 1, 2022 |access-date=2022-04-01 |website=Vice |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 |archive-date=May 1, 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190501003016/https://www.cbsnews.com/news/uber-lyft-drivers-plan-24-hour-strike-to-protest-pay/ |url-status=live }}</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.<ref name="cbs apr 25"/> The May 8 date was chosen as it coincides with Uber's IPO, which was estimated to raise the company $9 billion.<ref name="conversation apr 25">{{cite web |last1=Rodino-Colocino |first1=Michelle |title=Uber's $9 billion IPO rests on drivers' 80-plus hour workweeks and a lot of waiting |url=http://theconversation.com/ubers-9-billion-ipo-rests-on-drivers-80-plus-hour-workweeks-and-a-lot-of-waiting-115782 |website=[[The Conversation (website)|The Conversation]] |date=April 29, 2019 |publisher=The Conversation Trust |accessdate=May 1, 2019 |archive-date=May 1, 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190501002448/http://theconversation.com/ubers-9-billion-ipo-rests-on-drivers-80-plus-hour-workweeks-and-a-lot-of-waiting-115782 |url-status=live }}</ref> In addition to Los Angeles, San Diego and San Francisco, drivers went on strike in [[Chicago]], [[Boston]], [[Minneapolis]], [[Philadelphia]], and [[Washington, D.C.]], and were also joined by drivers from several international locations where Uber operates.<ref name="metro philly">{{cite web |last1=Homan |first1=Nate |title=Philly Uber, Lyft drivers join nationwide protest as rideshares go public |url=https://www.metro.us/news/local-news/philadelphia/philly-uber-lyft-drivers-join-nationwide-protest-rideshares-go-public |website=[[Metro (Philadelphia newspaper)|Metro]] |date=April 28, 2019 |publisher=[[Metro International]] |accessdate=May 1, 2019 |archive-date=May 1, 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190501002448/https://www.metro.us/news/local-news/philadelphia/philly-uber-lyft-drivers-join-nationwide-protest-rideshares-go-public |url-status=live }}</ref>