Uber, Lyft Rideshare Drivers Strike For Job Security, $28 Hourly Pay
LOS ANGELES (CBSLA) — Rideshare drivers are on a 24-hour strike in Los Angeles and in other cities across the country.
Protesters were seen chanting and holding up signs outside Terminals 1 and 2 at LAX Tuesday morning ahead of a planned rally at noon.
The drivers say they are striking for job security, livable incomes, and to a cap on commissions.
One of those demands includes a raise to $28 per hour, which activists say covers vehicle maintenance and other costs, leaving drivers making about $17 per hour.
The strike is hosted by Rideshare Drivers United and it comes just one day before Uber planned initial public offerings.
According to the filing report, the company lost more than $3 billion in 2018.
As a result, Uber cut wages from 80 cents per mile to 60 cents per mile in L.A. County and parts of Orange County.
L.A. is one of 10 cities across the country participating in the strike.
Uber released a statement saying, "Drivers are at the heart of our service ─ we can't succeed without them ─ and thousands of people come into work at Uber every day focused on how to make their experience better, on and off the road. Whether it's more consistent earnings, stronger insurance protections or fully-funded four-year degrees for drivers or their families, we'll continue working to improve the experience for and with drivers."
Part-time college student and full-time Uber and Lyft driver Jos Cashon has been working with rideshare since 2015 and says times are much harder now.
Cashon told CBSLA's Chris Holmstrom, "We are forced to work longer and longer hours for less and less money as more people sign up to do this."
According to Cashon, "The strike first and foremost is about pay. We are not making enough to live in the communities we serve."
Depending on the size of the strike, rider availability may be slower and more expensive than usual.