Nicole Moore, an Uber driver and organizer based in California, tweeted Monday, "we will show Uber, Lyft, and the electeds who need to protect work in America what a union looks like." (Image: Rideshare Drivers United)
Mar 25, 2019
Uber and Lyft drivers in California went on strike Monday to protest poor treatment and steep pay cuts that dragged their already-paltry wages to unsustainably low levels.
"I stand with Uber and Lyft drivers striking in LA. Drivers must be paid the wages they deserve."
--Sen. Bernie Sanders
Earlier this month, Uber abruptly slashed the minimum fare from $3.75 to $2.62 and per-mile pay from 80 cents to 60 cents in Los Angeles County and parts of Orange County.
The goal of Monday's strike, according to organizers, is to pressure both Uber and Lyft to boost wages and allow drivers "to organize without retaliation."
"We plan to make some noise and create a ruckus to get the 25 percent back that they stole," James Hicks, an Uber driver and spokesman for Rideshare Drivers United (RDU), told the Los Angeles Daily News.
RDU--a group consisting of around 3,000 members--organized the strike, during which participants will not drive for either Uber or Lyft for a full day.
In interviews with local media outlets, Uber drivers said the pay cuts have already had a devastating effect.
"I was working 55 to 60 hours a week and making anywhere from $1,100 to $2,000 a week," Corey Mills, an Uber driver from Chino Hills, told the Los Angeles Daily News. "Now I have to work doubly hard to get the same pay. Last week I worked 82 hours and made $1,000."
Keith Eberl, an Uber driver based in California, acknowledged in an interview with the Los Angeles Times that the one-day strike will not be enough to have a meaningful impact on Uber and Lyft's profits.
"But," he said, "we can certainly get their attention."
"The realization they might have is that this isn't drivers getting together in a crunch to do one strike and go their separate ways," Eberl added. "This is an expanding, growing organization."
\u201cShow your love and solidarity for Uber/Lyft Rideshare drivers in Los Angeles. If you use Uber/Lyft, find a taxi, carpool, or find another way to get where you need to go! #StrikeUberLyft #DignityofLabor\u201d— Francisco Garcia (@Francisco Garcia) 1553313058
Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.), a 2020 presidential candidate, was among those who expressed solidarity with the striking drivers on Monday.
"I stand with Uber and Lyft drivers striking in LA," tweeted the senator from Vermont. "One job should be enough to make a decent living in America, especially for those working for multi-billion-dollar companies. Drivers must be paid the wages they deserve."
\u201cI stand with Uber and Lyft drivers striking in LA. One job should be enough to make a decent living in America, especially for those working for multibillion-dollar companies. Drivers must be paid the wages they deserve. #StrikeUberLyft \nhttps://t.co/uyp8E0VkyR\u201d— Bernie Sanders (@Bernie Sanders) 1553520729
The California strike comes as Uber and Lyft drivers nationwide are pushing for the right to organize, which is a difficult task due to their classification as "independent contractors" instead of employees.
"According to Uber, there are currently 900,000 active Uber drivers throughout the United States (and close to 3 million globally), many of whom have reported often making less than minimum wage and struggling to cover the expenses associated with driving," Michael Sainato reported for the Guardian last week.
Nicole Moore, an Uber driver and organizer based in California, tweeted Monday, "we will show Uber, Lyft, and the electeds who need to protect work in America what a union looks like."
"We won't stop till there is justice," Moore said.
Join Us: News for people demanding a better world
Common Dreams is powered by optimists who believe in the power of informed and engaged citizens to ignite and enact change to make the world a better place. We're hundreds of thousands strong, but every single supporter makes the difference. Your contribution supports this bold media model—free, independent, and dedicated to reporting the facts every day. Stand with us in the fight for economic equality, social justice, human rights, and a more sustainable future. As a people-powered nonprofit news outlet, we cover the issues the corporate media never will. Join with us today! |
Our work is licensed under Creative Commons (CC BY-NC-ND 3.0). Feel free to republish and share widely.
Uber and Lyft drivers in California went on strike Monday to protest poor treatment and steep pay cuts that dragged their already-paltry wages to unsustainably low levels.
"I stand with Uber and Lyft drivers striking in LA. Drivers must be paid the wages they deserve."
--Sen. Bernie Sanders
Earlier this month, Uber abruptly slashed the minimum fare from $3.75 to $2.62 and per-mile pay from 80 cents to 60 cents in Los Angeles County and parts of Orange County.
The goal of Monday's strike, according to organizers, is to pressure both Uber and Lyft to boost wages and allow drivers "to organize without retaliation."
"We plan to make some noise and create a ruckus to get the 25 percent back that they stole," James Hicks, an Uber driver and spokesman for Rideshare Drivers United (RDU), told the Los Angeles Daily News.
RDU--a group consisting of around 3,000 members--organized the strike, during which participants will not drive for either Uber or Lyft for a full day.
In interviews with local media outlets, Uber drivers said the pay cuts have already had a devastating effect.
"I was working 55 to 60 hours a week and making anywhere from $1,100 to $2,000 a week," Corey Mills, an Uber driver from Chino Hills, told the Los Angeles Daily News. "Now I have to work doubly hard to get the same pay. Last week I worked 82 hours and made $1,000."
Keith Eberl, an Uber driver based in California, acknowledged in an interview with the Los Angeles Times that the one-day strike will not be enough to have a meaningful impact on Uber and Lyft's profits.
"But," he said, "we can certainly get their attention."
"The realization they might have is that this isn't drivers getting together in a crunch to do one strike and go their separate ways," Eberl added. "This is an expanding, growing organization."
\u201cShow your love and solidarity for Uber/Lyft Rideshare drivers in Los Angeles. If you use Uber/Lyft, find a taxi, carpool, or find another way to get where you need to go! #StrikeUberLyft #DignityofLabor\u201d— Francisco Garcia (@Francisco Garcia) 1553313058
Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.), a 2020 presidential candidate, was among those who expressed solidarity with the striking drivers on Monday.
"I stand with Uber and Lyft drivers striking in LA," tweeted the senator from Vermont. "One job should be enough to make a decent living in America, especially for those working for multi-billion-dollar companies. Drivers must be paid the wages they deserve."
\u201cI stand with Uber and Lyft drivers striking in LA. One job should be enough to make a decent living in America, especially for those working for multibillion-dollar companies. Drivers must be paid the wages they deserve. #StrikeUberLyft \nhttps://t.co/uyp8E0VkyR\u201d— Bernie Sanders (@Bernie Sanders) 1553520729
The California strike comes as Uber and Lyft drivers nationwide are pushing for the right to organize, which is a difficult task due to their classification as "independent contractors" instead of employees.
"According to Uber, there are currently 900,000 active Uber drivers throughout the United States (and close to 3 million globally), many of whom have reported often making less than minimum wage and struggling to cover the expenses associated with driving," Michael Sainato reported for the Guardian last week.
Nicole Moore, an Uber driver and organizer based in California, tweeted Monday, "we will show Uber, Lyft, and the electeds who need to protect work in America what a union looks like."
"We won't stop till there is justice," Moore said.
Uber and Lyft drivers in California went on strike Monday to protest poor treatment and steep pay cuts that dragged their already-paltry wages to unsustainably low levels.
"I stand with Uber and Lyft drivers striking in LA. Drivers must be paid the wages they deserve."
--Sen. Bernie Sanders
Earlier this month, Uber abruptly slashed the minimum fare from $3.75 to $2.62 and per-mile pay from 80 cents to 60 cents in Los Angeles County and parts of Orange County.
The goal of Monday's strike, according to organizers, is to pressure both Uber and Lyft to boost wages and allow drivers "to organize without retaliation."
"We plan to make some noise and create a ruckus to get the 25 percent back that they stole," James Hicks, an Uber driver and spokesman for Rideshare Drivers United (RDU), told the Los Angeles Daily News.
RDU--a group consisting of around 3,000 members--organized the strike, during which participants will not drive for either Uber or Lyft for a full day.
In interviews with local media outlets, Uber drivers said the pay cuts have already had a devastating effect.
"I was working 55 to 60 hours a week and making anywhere from $1,100 to $2,000 a week," Corey Mills, an Uber driver from Chino Hills, told the Los Angeles Daily News. "Now I have to work doubly hard to get the same pay. Last week I worked 82 hours and made $1,000."
Keith Eberl, an Uber driver based in California, acknowledged in an interview with the Los Angeles Times that the one-day strike will not be enough to have a meaningful impact on Uber and Lyft's profits.
"But," he said, "we can certainly get their attention."
"The realization they might have is that this isn't drivers getting together in a crunch to do one strike and go their separate ways," Eberl added. "This is an expanding, growing organization."
\u201cShow your love and solidarity for Uber/Lyft Rideshare drivers in Los Angeles. If you use Uber/Lyft, find a taxi, carpool, or find another way to get where you need to go! #StrikeUberLyft #DignityofLabor\u201d— Francisco Garcia (@Francisco Garcia) 1553313058
Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.), a 2020 presidential candidate, was among those who expressed solidarity with the striking drivers on Monday.
"I stand with Uber and Lyft drivers striking in LA," tweeted the senator from Vermont. "One job should be enough to make a decent living in America, especially for those working for multi-billion-dollar companies. Drivers must be paid the wages they deserve."
\u201cI stand with Uber and Lyft drivers striking in LA. One job should be enough to make a decent living in America, especially for those working for multibillion-dollar companies. Drivers must be paid the wages they deserve. #StrikeUberLyft \nhttps://t.co/uyp8E0VkyR\u201d— Bernie Sanders (@Bernie Sanders) 1553520729
The California strike comes as Uber and Lyft drivers nationwide are pushing for the right to organize, which is a difficult task due to their classification as "independent contractors" instead of employees.
"According to Uber, there are currently 900,000 active Uber drivers throughout the United States (and close to 3 million globally), many of whom have reported often making less than minimum wage and struggling to cover the expenses associated with driving," Michael Sainato reported for the Guardian last week.
Nicole Moore, an Uber driver and organizer based in California, tweeted Monday, "we will show Uber, Lyft, and the electeds who need to protect work in America what a union looks like."
"We won't stop till there is justice," Moore said.
We've had enough. The 1% own and operate the corporate media. They are doing everything they can to defend the status quo, squash dissent and protect the wealthy and the powerful. The Common Dreams media model is different. We cover the news that matters to the 99%. Our mission? To inform. To inspire. To ignite change for the common good. How? Nonprofit. Independent. Reader-supported. Free to read. Free to republish. Free to share. With no advertising. No paywalls. No selling of your data. Thousands of small donations fund our newsroom and allow us to continue publishing. Can you chip in? We can't do it without you. Thank you.