Uber and Lyft threaten to leave Minnesota on July 1 if state's pay raise proposal passes
ST. PAUL, Minn. — Uber and Lyft both say they'll leave the state of Minnesota if a new compromise passes.
DFL lawmakers and the Minneapolis City Council announced an agreement Monday on a state-wide minimum wage for drivers.
The rideshare companies say they'll still leave on July 1.
"I think they're bluffing," said House Majority Leader Jamie Long, DFL. "I do believe they would stay if this passed."
The agreed-upon rate is higher than what a state report found would put drivers at minimum wage, but lower than what the Minneapolis council passed this year.
"Something is better than nothing," said Said Mohamed, a driver. "We don't have anything right now."
Eid Ali, the president and founder of the Minnesota Uber and Lyft Drivers Association, says the agreement is a good compromise.
He says he doesn't believe any number will satisfy the rideshare companies.
"I don't see any ending for Uber and Lyft other than that they're going to say, 'We're leaving,' and scaring folks from Minnesota," Ali said. "We're trying our best to make sure that we're going to give whatever we can to our folks here in Minnesota."
Regular rideshare users don't like the idea of a world without Uber or Lyft.
"I'd say it'd be a bit stressful," said Megan Kaiser, who flew in to MSP Monday.
Kong Yang from Minneapolis says he sympathizes with the drivers appealing for a living wage, but also says Uber and Lyft are necessary for people to get around.
Drivers WCCO spoke to are confident that the government will reach an agreement with Uber and Lyft and the companies will stay.
If they don't, they say they're ready to move on to new rideshare companies entering the market.
"We want them to stay," Mohamed said. "They have a great system, but hopefully they can understand we have families to feed."
Uber says it hopes to still work with state leaders on a way to stay.
Lyft says it supports a minimum wage, but claims rides would become unaffordable at the rate announced Monday.