Chicago rideshare drivers demanding fair wages as passenger fares rise

CHICAGO - Rideshare drivers in Chicago are taking to the streets over concerns about wages and passenger fares. 

They rallied in front of City Hall on Wednesday after Uber and Lyft announced they were raising passenger fares, but not the drivers' salaries. 

Chicago Gig Alliance Drivers spoke out on the issue and were joined by several aldermen. They cited a 2021 study from the University of Illinois to make their point. 

That research found that drivers make an average of $13 an hour in the Chicago area. It also shows a 36% increase in passenger fare prices from 2019 to 2023. 

In Chicago specifically, a 54% increase during that same period. 

Workers say they're putting in more hours and are making less.

"They need to be paid fairly, and they need a process that gives them justice and they need some protection while they're out here on the road to make sure that they can get home safely," a speaker at the rally told the crowd.

The drivers are calling for the passage of the Chicago Rideshare Living Wage and Safety Ordinance, which would raise driver pay. 

FOX 32 reached out to Uber and Lyft about today's event. Lyft's statement is shared below and we are still waiting to hear from Uber. 

"The bill being discussed would drastically increase the cost of rides and make the platform less safe. Drivers would ultimately earn less because so few people would be left to afford a ride. This is the very same dynamic playing out right now in Minneapolis," Lyft said. 

Lyft says the city's own study showed that no rideshare drivers mean less than $20 an hour and that the majority of them earn between $31 and $40 an hour.