Uber, Lyft Drivers Strike Today In Los Angeles

LOS ANGELES, CA — Rideshare drivers in Los Angeles announced a one-day strike Wednesday, joining drivers in other major American cities protesting conditions at Lyft and Uber.

As a result, passengers may have trouble hailing a ride near LAX and other parts of the city Wednesday. The drivers are calling for better pay and status under state law. They accuse the ride-share companies of reneging on promises made under last year's Prop 22, which governs drivers as contract workers instead of employees.

Rideshare Drivers United, an independent association of U.S. rideshare drivers founded in Los Angeles, is also organizing the strikes in San Diego, San Francisco, Austin, Boston, Cleveland, Las Vegas, Pittsburgh, Denver, and Baltimore.

The group scheduled a rally near LAX at 1 p.m. Wednesday.

According to Rideshare Drivers United, the companies have reduced mileage rates, lowered commissions, and taken away flexibility and transparency. They also accuse the companies of exploiting workers by manipulating algorithms.

Rideshare Drivers United is also calling for the passage of the PRO Act, short for Protecting the Right to Organize, which would expand protections for workers seeking to unionize. It passed the House of Representatives and has the support of President Biden.

Representatives for Uber did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

Lyft and Uber funded the Prop 22 campaign last year. It was the most expensive ballot race in state history. Under Prop 22, drivers are guaranteed a minimum wage and receive benefits, severance packages and unemployment insurance just like most full-time employees, according to the ride-share companies.

On its website, Lyft praises Prop 22 for allowing rideshare drivers in California to work "under a new model that gives them historic new benefits and protections: a healthcare stipend of up to $4,800 per year, workplace injury protections, and a minimum earnings guarantee, all while ensuring that drivers keep what they want most: flexibility and independence."

City News Service and Patch Staffer Paige Austin contributed to this report.