Gig drivers from across the country are expected to walk off the job Wednesday to demand better pay.
According to Justice for App Workers, which represents thousands of gig workers in the U.S., DoorDash, Uber and Lyft drivers from across the country will participate in an organized strike on Valentine’s Day.
“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,” the group said last week.
According to Justice for App Workers, the strikes will occur in Austin, Texas; Chicago; Hartford, Connecticut; Newark, New Jersey; Philadelphia; Pittsburgh; Providence, Rhode Island; and Miami, Orlando and Tampa, Florida. During the protests, which are expected to last most of the day, app drivers are encouraged to avoid driving customers to and from their local airports.
The drivers are protesting what they see as unsafe working conditions and low wages. The strikes come just one week after Lyft announced it would provide all drivers with a guaranteed income.
Wages for workers at the popular gig apps have long been an issue for workers. While driving apps like Uber, Lyft and DoorDash began as supplements to workers’ wages, more and more have come to depend on the apps as a major source of income.
While the earnings ceiling can be high for gig drivers, the work is often unpredictable, with wages determined by weather, crime and time of day. In the big cities where Uber and Lyft are used most frequently, drivers can expect to make $30-$40 an hour.
• Vaughn Cockayne can be reached at vcockayne@washingtontimes.com.
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