Chicago rideshare drivers pushing for ordinance that would establish living wages, increase worker protections

(WBBM NEWSRADIO) — About a dozen rideshare drivers were outside City Council Wednesday morning continuing to urge city council leaders to pass an ordinance addressing safety and unfair labor practices.

Rideshare drivers and members of the Chicago Gig Alliance said they're tired of fighting for basic rights.

"I had a ride… he paid $36. All I got was $12. That's about 30%. We used to get 80%, now we went down to 30%? That's ridiculous," one rideshare driver said.

"One day I logged onto the Lyft app, only to find a message saying I was deactivated. It actually did not tell me what I actually did to deserve getting my livelihood taken away," another driver said.

Driver Nolberto Casas said the Rideshare Living Wage and Safety Ordinance , introduced in 2022 calls for safety and worker protections, living wages, and transparency in driver deactivations.

"It has taken us over 180 years to have this unique composite of labor leaders on the side of labor, and we're not gonna go back," Casas said.

Casas explained how the ordinance would help drivers.

"It would reinstate minimum wage guarantees on a per mile, per minute basis. The second plank of the bill, we would verify accounts, not by choice. It would be mandatory. The final plank of the bill would deal with deactivations, where drivers would have due process to appeal job loss."

The ordinance currently has a super majority of city co-sponsors, including Alderman Mike Rodriguez of the 22nd Ward.

"Years ago, we're bringing justice to other folks so that they have a safe working environment. Why can't we do that in 2024 for rideshare drivers?"

Lyft provided the following statement:

"Drivers are essential to our purpose. That's why we've worked to address each of the concerns raised here today. This includes a new earnings commitment that ensures drivers always make at least 70% of the weekly rider fares after external fees, an improved deactivation appeals process to make things more transparent and a recently-launched rider verification program to improve safety."

"By contrast, the proposed ordinance is not based in economic reality and would jeopardize the service for most Chicagoans, drastically increasing fares for riders and making it much harder to keep unsafe drivers off the road. Drivers would ultimately earn less because so few people would be left to afford a ride."

A spokesperson for Uber provided the following statement:

“Just last year, the City of Chicago released its own study which showed that the majority of drivers make between $31-$40/hour on our platform, while 75% of drivers reported being satisfied with their job and financial situation. Despite this encouraging driver feedback, we are continuously working to improve both the driver and rider experience and continue to welcome their feedback and insights.”

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