Portland app drivers seek higher wages through May Day strike
PORTLAND, Ore. (KOIN) — Portland ride-share and delivery drivers are joining workers across the country in striking for higher pay.
Portlanders who drive for apps like Uber and Lyft have pledged to not work on Wednesday. The demonstration falls on International Workers’ Day, more commonly known as May Day: a holiday in which groups worldwide protest for better working conditions.
Inside the occupied Millar Library on Portland State University’s campus
The strike is led by national coalition Justice for App Workers, which has more than 130,000 members spread across places like New York City, Las Vegas and Chicago.
“Living wages” are listed among the organization’s main demands.
In early February, AP News reported that 2023 was the first year that Uber turned a profit as a public company. The ride-share app profited about $1.89 billion, with an overall revenue of $37.28 billion.
According to Business Insider, Uber executives said the average driver in the U.S. earned about $33 an hour — before driving expenses.
Justice for App Workers mentioned the rising cost of owning a vehicle, with car insurance rates and gas prices increasing within the past year.
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Along with higher pay, the organization is urging Uber to rid of its deactivation system. In some cases, the app uses automated technology to determine whether a driver should lose access to their account.
Protesters are pushing for the company to implement “due process” for all app deactivation cases.
“The May Day app worker demonstrations and work stoppages are a result of the exploitation and human toll behind the algorithms and policies governing these platforms,” Justice for App Workers said. “Workers hope to highlight the urgent need for regulations to safeguard their rights and livelihoods in the digital age.”
The organization led a similar strike on Valentine’s Day, with delivery and ride-share drivers in the U.K. also pledging to not work.
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“We have seen no impact to our business or rider reliability this morning and expect that to continue throughout the day — similar to this group’s protest on Valentine’s Day where we saw even more drivers working compared to the year prior,” an Uber spokesperson said in an email.
The company noted drivers’ median hourly wage of $33, as well as an updated policy that allows them to challenge deactivation and a new verification process that aims to protect workers.
In a statement, Lyft said improving the driver experience is essential to the app.
“That’s why just this February we released a series of new offers and commitments aimed at increasing driver pay and transparency,” a Lyft spokesperson wrote. “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.”
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