Tomorrow, passengers traveling to or from airports in 10 of America’s largest cities may have trouble getting an Uber or Lyft. That’s because drivers for those platforms have announced a strike to coincide with Valentine’s Day.
The strike is being spearheaded by the Justice for App Workers coalition, which represents more than 130,000 drivers and delivery workers. The coalition says the strike is to call attention to the fight for fair wages and better safety for drivers.
The strike is expected to take place at all airports located in these 10 cities:
- Austin (AUS)
- Chicago (ORD)
- Hartford, Connecticut (BDL)
- Miami (MIA)
- Newark, New Jersey (EWR)
- Orlando, Florida (MCO)
- Philadelphia (PHL)
- Pittsburgh (PIT)
- Providence, Rhode Island (PVD)
- Tampa, Florida (TPA)
“Uber, Lyft, and delivery drivers are TIRED of being mistreated by the app companies,” the coalition stated on its strike page. “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.”
Of course, the strike does not mean there will be no rideshares available to or from airports in the cities above tomorrow. But at the very least, it may be harder to get a Lyft or an Uber and you may have to wait longer for one to show up. Passengers who want to support the strikes should plan alternate means of transport to and from the airport.
When contacted for comment, a Lyft spokesperson said, “We are constantly working to improve the driver experience, which is why just this month we released a series of new offers and commitments aimed at increasing driver pay and transparency. This includes a new earnings commitment and an improved deactivation appeals process. Now, drivers will always make at least 70% of the weekly rider fares after external fees. It’s all part of our new customer-obsessed focus on drivers.”
An Uber spokesperson downplayed the strike and asserted that it would not disrupt riders’ travel plans. “These types of events have rarely had any impact on trips, prices or driver availability, and we expect the same tomorrow,” Uber said in a statement to Fast Company. “That’s because the vast majority of drivers are satisfied — earnings remain strong, and as of last quarter, drivers in the U.S. were making about $33 per utilized hour. We also continue to act on driver feedback, adding new safety features to the app and improving our account deactivation processes.”
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