Boston Uber And Lyft Drivers Join National Strike

BOSTON — This morning Uber and Lyft drivers are taking the day off after the Boston Independent Drivers Guild, a grassroots organization formed last summer, asked drivers to join a nationwide strike today to protest unfair wages. The strike comes as Uber prepares to go public this week.

If it's a bit more difficult than normal to hail a ride share, that's why.

How many drivers in Boston are joining, is unclear. At least a dozen joined a planned protest in Saugus out front of an Uber office.

"Uber and Lyft treat their drivers as a cost that needs to be driven down in order to maximize corporate profits, not as dedicated employees who deserve to be treated with dignity," tweeted Sen. Ed Markey in response. "I stand with them today as they strike to secure the wages, benefits, and conditions they’ve earned."

A representative said it doesn't look like many drivers protested and they haven't seen any impact on reliability of service when it comes to wait times or number of drivers online compared to the average in a month.

“Drivers are at the heart of our service, and we can’t succeed without them. We’ll continue working to improve drivers’ experience for and with them, every day," said an Uber spokesperson in an emailed statement.

In an email, Lyft didn't acknowledge the strike but did say drivers’ hourly earnings have increased 7 percent during the past two years, and they have earned more than $14 billion collectively since the organization started. The spokesperson noted more than 75 percent drive fewer than 10 hours a week to supplement existing jobs. And on average, Lyft drivers earn more than $20 per hour.

"We know that access to flexible, extra income makes a big difference for millions of people, and we’re constantly working to improve how we can best serve our driver community," said Lyft in a statement emailed to Patch.

One potential rider opened the apps in Cleveland Circle around 9:30 a.m. and it showed seven Uber drivers and eight Lyft drivers nearby.

Ahead of the planned strike, MassDOT took advantage of the moment to remind folks heading to and from the airport they have options. Recently MassDOT unveiled a new plan to help ease traffic at the airport by lowering the cost of a Logan Express ride and offering riders to cut the security line.

And at least some people were following the strike in Boston

A flyer:

In New York, drivers with Uber, Lyft, Juno and Via voted to strike. That strike was planned to last two hours during the rush-hour commute, to be followed by a rally outside the headquarters of Uber, Lyft and the city's Taxi and Limousine Commission. The citywide strike is meant to call for increased job security, "liveable" incomes and fare regulations, according to a release.

"I'm striking for my kid's future. I have a 5-year-old son, and I drive for Uber to support him," Sonam Lama, an Uber driver and member of the New York Taxi Workers Alliance, said in a release. "But it's becoming harder and harder. First Uber cut the rates, then they put too many cars on the roads so there weren't enough fares to go around."

The group wants Uber to answer to workers, Lama added, not to investors.

"The gig economy is all about exploiting workers by taking away our rights," said Lama. "It has to stop. Uber is the worst actor in the gig economy. Uber claims that we are independent contractors even though they set our rates and control our workday."

In Los Angeles, 4,400 members of Rideshare Drivers United are demanding that Uber "immediately reverse" a recent 25 percent cut. They also want both companies to guarantee that drivers receive a minimum rate of $28 an hour, which the group says equates to $17 an hour after expenses. A picketing demonstration is planned at Los Angeles International Airport terminals followed by a rally where drivers can speak about the impact of their reduced wages.

Drivers were considered independent "driver partners" initially, but that changed when the State Department of Labor ruled in 2017 that drivers in New York were actually employees.

Also interesting:

There's A New Way To Cut The Security Line At Logan Airport

-Patch national staffer Dan Hampton contributed to this report.

Patch reporter Jenna Fisher can be reached at Jenna.Fisher@patch.com or by calling 617-942-0474. Follow her on Twitter and Instagram (@ReporterJenna).