Uber Drivers Strike In Redondo Beach Over 25% Cut In Wages

REDONDO BEACH, CA — Southland Uber drivers planned to gather in Redondo Beach Monday for a 25-hour strike in protest of a 25 percent pay cut by Uber.

Rideshare Drivers United-Los Angeles, an association that seeks fair pay for drivers who work for rideshare services, is coordinating the strike. The group, which claims to have 2,800 members, is trying to force the company to reverse policy on its decision to slash wages by 25 percent. The group is also demanding a guaranteed $28-per-hour minimum rate.

Less than a year after implementing a pay raise, Uber recently reversed course, cutting driver's pay from 80 cents per mile to 60 cents in L.A. County and portions of Orange County. Uber explained the move, noting the incentive "did not have the intended impact," according to the the Los Angeles Times.

“We plan to make some noise and create a ruckus to get the 25 percent back that they stole,” Rideshare spokesman James Hicks, who also drives for Uber, told The Beach Reporter.

The protest, rally and press conference is being held at Uber Greenlight Redondo Beach located at 2400 Marine Ave. in Redondo Beach.

Uber isn't the only ride-sharing company facing a driver revolt. Rideshare Drivers United also announced a strike against Lyft, whose initial public offering is expected this week. According to the Times, past driver strikes have had little effect. Classified as contract workers rather than employees, drivers have little leverage in their battle for better pay.

Lyft driver Sinakhone Keodara recently became homeless after investing in an app he created. The money he makes driving for Lyft doesn't cover the cost of gas and the $25 a night he needs for shelter.

"I'm really struggling," he told the Los Angeles Times. "But I feel like it's time for us to humanize our struggle. Let people know what's really going on with us as we're driving for Lyft and Uber trying to survive and this is what is happening to us."

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