Delivery, rideshare drivers rally for raises in Redondo Beach as Uber, Lyft enact gas surcharges
Delivery and rideshare drivers held a protest Wednesday in Redondo Beach, demanding raises due to the historic spike in gas prices.
Drivers with the likes of Uber and Amazon held a car caravan and rally outside an Amazon warehouse in the 2400 block of Marine Avenue. The drivers told CBSLA that because they are considered independent contractors, most of the costs associated with driving come out of their own pockets.
"I can't drive anymore for Amazon because I don't have savings right now, all my savings, I spent my money on the gas," protester Katherine Cote told CBSLA. "We need more help with that."
As of Wednesday, the average price for a gallon of regular in Los Angeles County was $5.87, which marks a $1.10 increase from just a month ago, according to AAA.
"We pay for gas, we pay for fixing the car, we pay for everything," Amazon driver Daisy Montoya said. "Amazon only pays $41 for 2 ½ hours. $41 is not really good for a hard job."
Rideshare giant Uber announced last week that it would add a 45-cent or 55-cent fuel charge to every ride, along with a 35-cent or 45-cent surcharge for every Uber Eats delivery. Lyft followed suit Wednesday with its own 55-cent fuel surcharge, which will take effect next week.
Both companies notes that the entire amount of the surcharge would go to drivers.
"Even for me, I had a Prius, a hybrid car, and it's very hard for me to pay the gas," driver Mauricio Calderon said.
Drivers argue that tech companies have made record profits over the last few years, so the least they can do is pay a little more to keep them on the roads.
"We have to talk with the company, because we need more support for everybody, for every driver," Cote said.
Amazon spokeswoman Kelly Nantel released a statement following the protest:
"Our delivery partners play a vital role in serving customers every day. We're closely monitoring the situation and listening to their concerns. Amazon Flex delivery partners earn among the best in the industry at over $26 per hour on average. We've already made several adjustments through pricing surges in impacted areas to help ease some of the financial challenges and as the situation evolves, we'll continue to make changes where we can to help support our partners."