Ride-share drivers urge Chicago City Council to pass safety and wage ordinance
CHICAGO - Ride-share drivers are appealing to the riding public and Chicago City Council to pass an ordinance to improve their working conditions.
They said similar measures have been implemented in other states, and Chicago needs to keep up.
The drivers rallied at City Hall to urge alderpersons to pass the Rideshare Living Wage and Safety Ordinance, sponsored by Ald. Mike Rodriguez of the 22nd Ward.
The drivers emphasized that Uber and Lyft can deactivate them by locking them out of the app without explanation or an appeal process. They argued that these companies are not transparent about deactivations and the harm they cause drivers.
Participants in the rally highlighted that some drivers have been victims of crime, with some even losing their lives.
Drivers also pointed out that they are only paid when transporting a passenger, with hourly rates varying from $10 to $20. Alderman Rodriguez stated that drivers should be paid a living wage.
According to the drivers, when they started, they kept 85 percent of what they earned. Now, it's less than half, while ride prices have increased by 54 percent. The ordinance is scheduled to come up in the City Council in September.
Uber responded with a written statement:
"Our business is literally connecting riders with drivers, which means we lose every time we have to remove a driver’s access to our platform. However, we can’t sacrifice safety or quality, and unfortunately, when a driver poses a serious threat to either, we have no choice but to deactivate them."
Lyft also responded with the following statement:
"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 that nearly played out in Minneapolis before the state had to step in to avoid a transit disaster.
"We support a minimum earnings standard and protections for drivers, but it must be done in a smart way. The city's own study found that a majority of part time rideshare drivers earned between $31-$40 per hour of trip time and 0% of rideshare drivers earned less than $20 per hour.
"For our part, earlier this year we released a series of new offers and commitments aimed at increasing driver pay and transparency. This includes a new earnings commitment and an improved deactivation appeals process. Now, drivers will always make at least 70% of the weekly rider fares after external fees. This is how we can improve the driver experience and still balance what drivers are paid with what riders can pay."