On Wednesday, May 8th, Uber drivers in 8 cities across the US are sending a strong message to the ridesharing company by uniting and shutting down services. These strikes, which are occurring in San Francisco, Philadelphia, Washington D.C., San Diego, Los Angeles, Boston, Chicago, and Minneapolis, are part of a broader movement of drivers organizing and taking action to make long needed improvements in an industry characterized by long hours, low pay, and no benefits. Drivers are demanding increased wages, benefits, transparency of the company’s finances, and the right for drivers to form independent organizations. This day of action comes ahead of Uber’s initial public offering (IPO), the biggest in years, which is likely to value the company at over $100 billion.[1] Worker’s Voice interviewed a group of Uber and Lyft drivers in Las Vegas to learn more about the issues facing drivers there and how they are organizing to take action on May 8th. (edited for clarity)
Worker’s Voice: What are the main issues facing drivers in Las Vegas?
Ben: For almost 3 years with Uber, I had a problem when they would deactivate you for no good reason. They told me that I drove on the freeway when I shouldn’t have. I said that I have the right to drive on the freeway, especially if the other route is not safe, where there was an accident. I had this experience.
WV: Have there been issues from others around deactivating drivers’ accounts?
Richard: Yes, they kept deactivating me every week when I first started driving for Uber. This happened because when they processed my paperwork, they entered my license information incorrectly. I was going through this for 3 months. Also, there’s the issue of negative ratings. If I am driving an Uber pool, you can have 4 people with different personalities in the car. I could have a good experience with one of them who is socializing more with me, and he could give me a high rating, but the others could give me bad ratings for no reason. If you get a 4.60 rating Uber has a right to deactivate you. They don’t have to give a reason why.
WV: How are the wages for drivers in Las Vegas?
Malcolm: Most drivers are hanging in there by a thread. We started out at a rate of $1.80 per mile, but we’re now at $0.60 a mile. In addition to dropping drivers’ rates, the CEO’s have given themselves raises. Uber calls us partners, but no one ever asked me if I wanted to lower the rate. This is not a partnership, this is a dictatorship.
WV: Could you speak more about how the fares are calculated?
Ahmed: The riders’ receipt shows a higher fare than the driver’s. When I talk to an Uber representative, they don’t give the right amount of where the money goes. There are so many drivers in Vegas who go through this. What is Uber doing with the money that’s taken away from us?
Richard: Uber is manipulating fares back and forth. There’s not a set fare with passengers.
Malcolm: Everyone is confused as to the calculation of the fares. On one fare of $96, I receive $55.12 and Uber gets the rest.
Ahmed: They take out a ‘service fee’ and a ‘booking fee.’ I want to know what are the booking and service fees. When I called them about the fare adjustments, or ask about the booking fees, their exact quote is that ‘this evens out in the end for you.’ It doesn’t make sense. How does this even out for me? They should have a flat rate.
WV: Could you explain what the fare adjustments are?
Ahmed: You can give customers the option of which route they prefer to take. Uber always charges the customer the longest way, no matter which way you go. When the driver takes the fastest way, Uber will adjust the fare.
Ben: I had a ride the other day, and Uber made an adjustment because they thought I was ripping off the customer by taking the freeway, but it was the faster route. The rider didn’t complain about this. They always rip off the driver, even though the riders are not complaining. They want to take more of the money from the driver.
WV: Uber has claimed that they are losing money in recent years; what are your thoughts on this claim?
Ahmed: They are ripping us off from the start. They are taking more of a percentage out of our cut. This money is supposed to go to the drivers. They are investing money, over the past couple of years, in autonomous cars. Uber keeps saying they are losing money, in actuality they are investing in autonomous cars in order to get rid of drivers.
Malcolm: Uber is claiming they are losing money, but the CEO made $48 million last year when drivers are struggling here to make a few pennies. We’re in the trenches, while those guys are sitting in their offices making millions. Regardless of what people say, this is the reality of Uber drivers. We’re living paycheck to paycheck. Living day to day.
WV: What are the main demands for the May 8th day of action?
Malcolm: We want fair wages, we want to be able to afford to put food on the table, drive our cars and pay for the maintenance, and make a living wage. I want to be part of an organization that values my opinion and where we drivers have a voice. This is a big issue and it’s why we are all going to unite and shut down on Wednesday.
WV: What’s the plan for drivers in Las Vegas?
Malcolm: We are all going to meet together in the airport staging area and have a big potluck with all the drivers. We’re doing this in solidarity with the cities that are officially striking. We have the right to not want to take rides. We are independent contractors, as they always call us, so we making the decision not to work from 12pm to 12am.
WV: Why are drivers striking on May 8th?
Malcolm: We’re taking strike action because we want Uber to realize that they are making profits thanks to the drivers. This is ahead of the IPO drop. It will drop on May 9, so we want to be able to do this to make an impact and send a message to investors. We want a fair share of the money they are making. We’re going to go on strike, because it hurts their bottom line. Many people can’t afford to not work on May 8th, but we need to unite as drivers to take action to improve our situation.
[1]Gibson, Kate. “Uber and Lyft Drivers Plan 24-Hour Strike to Protest Pay.” CBS News. 25 April 2019. https://www.cbsnews.com/news/uber-lyft-drivers-plan-24-hour-strike-to-protest-pay/