Rideshare drivers protest at Ald. Deb Silverstein's office; demand support for living wage ordinance

CHICAGO (CBS) -- Rideshare drivers say they've had enough. They want more money, and increased safety on the job.

So they took to the street and an alderwoman's office on the city's Far North Side.

A group of protesters entered Ald. Debra Silverstein's office in the 50th Ward on Monday afternoon, and demanded she sign on to the so-called "Rideshare Living Wage and Safety Ordinance" that was introduced to the City Council in February.

The ordinance would not only set a minimum wage for Uber, Lyft, and other rideshare companies' drivers, but would place a cap on the amount the companies can take from each fare, limit surge pricing, require passengers to verify their identity on the app, and establish a $1-per-month-per-vehicle tax on rideshare companies to pay for a safety assistance fund.

Silverstein was not in when the protesters showed up, but her staff spoke with the group.

The drivers said they've met with Silverstein a few times on the issue, but she still hasn't taken action, as their situation only gets worse.

"Drivers have been the victims of carjackings in the city of Chicago. Drivers have been the victims of losing their access to work based on unverified customer complaints. And workers have been losing money every single year since rideshare started in the city," said Lori Simmons, with Chicago Gig Alliance. "We have not had a pay raise since 2018. Yeah, that ain't right."

Silverstein's office did not immediately respond to requests for comment.

The proposed ordinance has 17 sponsors, but would need 26 votes from the City Council to pass. It has yet to receive a hearing from the council's License Committee since it was introduced in February.