El Monte Explores Ordinance Guaranteeing $30 Minimum Wage For Rideshare Drivers
EL MONTE (CBSLA) — Rideshare drivers could find themselves making $30 an hour in the city of El Monte, a small San Gabriel Valley that's home to one of the largest transportation hubs in Southern California.
The El Monte City Council voted Wednesday night to draft an ordinance guaranteeing a $30-an-hour minimum wage for rideshare drivers in that city. The move is supported by members of Mobile Workers Alliance, a driver-led organizing project of Service Employees International Union Local 721 in Los Angeles.
If the ordinance becomes law, it would be the first of its kind in the United States.
"Hearing from drivers and understanding what they're facing, plus knowing how these companies impact city and state revenues, makes looking into this an easy decision," El Monte Mayor Andre Quintero said. The city is home to the largest bus depot west of Chicago, he added.
"A lot of first- and last-mile trips originate here and it makes sense to see that money stay with workers in this valley instead of going to Silicon Valley," Quintero said.
At the state level, a bill working its way through the Legislature seeks to classify drivers for companies such as Lyft and Uber as employees, rather than independent contractors.
Rideshare companies and drivers have been clashing in recent months. Uber has been accused of cutting wages for drivers in certain cities, and drivers have responded with protests and strikes in big cities like Los Angeles.
(© Copyright 2019 CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved. City News Service contributed to this report.)