Drivers of rideshare and delivery network companies Uber Technologies, Inc.,LYFT, Inc., and DoorDash, Inc., are calling for a strike on Valentines Day, February 14, citing mistreatment by the app companies over wages and safety.
As per two driver groups, drivers will picket in several U.S. cities located near airports demanding changes from Uber, Lyft, DoorDash, and all the app companies profiting off of their hard work.
The Justice For App Workers coalition, which represents more than 100,000 ride-sharing and delivery drivers, plan to hold rallies at airports from 11am-1pm on Wednesday, February 14. It said the drivers will be protesting and not giving any rides from the airport.
While announcing the strike, Justice For App Workers said, "We're sick of working 80 hours/week just to make ends meet, being constantly scared for our safety, and worrying about being deactivated with the click of a button. Across the country, in Austin, Chicago, Hartford, Miami, Newark, Orlando, Philadelphia, Pittsburgh, Rhode Island, and Tampa, we're not taking rides to or from any airport on February 14."
Further, Rideshare Drivers United, an independent association of Lyft and Uber drivers, said the drivers would turn off their apps on Wednesday to protest the significant decrease in pay they all have felt this winter.
The rideshare and delivery drivers, considered independent contractors by these companies, have been complaining for long that the platforms are taking disproportionately high amounts as commissions.
Meanwhile, Uber reportedly said, "Driver earnings remain strong, and as of Q4 2023, drivers in the U.S. were making about $33 per utilized hour."
While reporting higher profit and revenues in its fourth quarter last week, Uber reported that drivers and couriers earned an aggregate $17.2 billion, including tips, during the quarter, with earnings up 24 percent.
The company's Combined Mobility and Delivery revenue grew 22 percent and gross bookings climbed 22 percent in the quarter. Trips were 2.6 billion, an increase of 24 percent.
At Lyft, the company recently agreed that its drivers would receive at least 70 percent of the ride money, as part of its efforts to boost pay transparency.
In the gig companies, people who work across services like food delivery and transport are paid for individual tasks rather than getting a regular wage. Most US federal and state labor laws do not apply to gig workers that require a minimum wage or overtime pay.
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