Uber and Lyft drivers in Orlando and throughout many other major cities across the U.S. are striking today, February 14th, which is typically a very busy day for rideshare companies since lots of people have plans for the holiday.
Lyft pick-up zone
Drivers are striking to protest several issues, including what they are calling “poverty wages,” as they claim that Uber and Lyft are taking more and more of the cut from customer payments.
The Orlando Sentinel reported that about 100 Uber and Lyft drivers in Orlando are on strike today. The drivers listed a few different problems that they are protesting: “poverty wages, fears of being unfairly deactivated from the app, and unsafe working conditions.”
The Sentinel stated that “many drivers in Orlando and elsewhere are expected to continue working despite the Wednesday job action.” If you’re traveling to Disney World today and usually use a rideshare to get from the airport to the parks, you may experience some delays, but it likely will not affect your trip too much.
Orlando International Airport
One full-time driver who works for both Uber and Lyft told the Sentinel that drivers only receive about 30% of customer payments. He said, “We’ve tried to let [the companies] know that we need at least 70% for the drivers and 30% for Uber. We don’t have benefits. We pay for the car, for the gas, for the maintenance…so now we need to do something all together.”
Lyft sign
A spokesperson for Uber said that the impact of the strike will be minimal. She told The Washington Post, “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.”
Lyft’s spokesperson also commented on the strike, stating that Lyft drivers made, on average, $30.68 per hour before expenses and $23.46 after expenses. The company has also committed to giving its drivers at least 70% of weekly rider fares after external fees (Lyft).
Lyft
Here are the cities where Lyft and Uber drivers are striking:
- Austin
- Chicago
- Hartford
- Miami
- Newark
- Orlando
- Philadelphia
- Pittsburgh
- Providence
- Tampa
Specifically, the drivers are striking near airports in those cities.
We’ll continue to watch for more updates, so stay tuned to DFB for the latest travel news.
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In some ways it’s difficult to be sympathetic. If you don’t like it then do something else. No one is forcing you to be a driver.