On Wednesday, May 8th, 2019 drivers in 10 major U.S. cities, in the UK and in countries around the world went on strike. Many passengers supported the strike and did not cross the picket line. Read Sasha Lekach’s great Mashable blog for more information.
The strike kicked off in the UK with drivers striking in London, Birmingham, Nottingham and Glasgow. It rolled into Atlanta, Boston, New York, Philadelphia, Stamford, Connecticut and Washington DC. Chicago was next followed by San Diego, Los Angeles, and San Francisco. In New York, striking drivers shut down their services during morning rush hour from 7 a.m. until 9 a.m., and crossed the Brooklyn Bridge in a caravan and held a rally outside Uber and Lyft offices in Queens. Drivers in Los Angeles held a 24-hour strike and picket line at Los Angeles International Airport. There were also strikes reported in Australia, Kenya, Nigeria, Brazil, Chile and Costa Rica. Here is more about Sao Paulo and Sydney.
Pay is the primary issue for drivers in the United States. Drivers want a guaranteed $28 per hour minimum rate so that after expenses like gas, insurance payments, maintenance, they bring in $17 per hour. New York City has implemented this practice. Other demands involve transparency about wages and deactivations from the driver app. The drivers also want more of a voice and say in how the apps work as well as other benefits and protected. Drivers have come out against low pay, lack of insurance protection, no control over who gets in their vehicle, and no say in working conditions.
Here are some helpful links to track the campaign further:
United Kingdom: United Private Hire Drivers Branch of the Independent Workers Union of Great Britain (IWGB)
Australia: A class action suit has been launched against Uber and In three cities in Victoria, Australia and is action by the Transport Matters party. On the day of the strike, a handful of drivers delivered a letter expressing “concern about the lack of rights and standards that apply to transport workers in the gig economy” to Uber Greenlight hubs.
Los Angeles and San Diego: Rideshare Drivers United
Philadelphia: Philadelphia Drivers Union and the Philadelphia Limousine Association
New York: the Independent Drivers Guild (IDG) and the New York Taxi Drivers Alliance (NYTWA)
Chicago: Chicago Rideshare Advocates
Washington DC: DC Drive United
Boston: Boston Independent Drivers Guild
Atlanta: Rideshare Drivers United Georgia
Connecticut: Connecticut Drivers United
Support rabble today!
We’re so glad you stopped by! Thanks for consuming rabble content this year.
rabble.ca is 100% reader and donor funded, so as an avid reader of our content, we hope you will consider gifting rabble with a donation during our summer fundraiser today.
Whether it be a one-time donation or a small monthly contribution, your support is critical to keep rabble writers producing the work you’ve come to rely on as a part of a healthy media diet.
Become a rabble rouser — donate to rabble.ca today.
Nick Seebruch, editor
