Need a ride to or from O'Hare International Airport Wednesday? You might want to plan ahead, as rideshare drivers from Uber and Lyft are planning to park their cars and turn off their apps as thousands take part in a strike for better wages, safety and more.
According to an announcement from the Justice for App Workers coalition, drivers from Uber, Lyft and DoorDash will hold daylong strikes and demonstrate Wednesday outside airports in 10 cities: Chicago; Philadelphia; Pittsburgh; Miami; Orlando and Tampa, Florida; Hartford, Connecticut; Newark, New Jersey; Austin, Texas; and Providence, Rhode Island.
In Illinois alone, more than 30,000 drivers are part of the coalition.
“We’re sick of working 80 hours a week just to make ends meet, being constantly scared for our safety, and worrying about being deactivated with the click of a button,” the coalition said in a statement.
Ride-hailing drivers will rally at the O’Hare International Airport ride-share waiting lot between 11 a.m. and 1 p.m. Wednesday, the coalition said. They will also shut off their apps and will not accept any rides to and from the airport Wednesday.
Uber said Tuesday it doesn’t expect the strike to have much impact on its operations on Valentine's Day.
“These types of events have rarely had any impact on trips, prices or driver availability,” Uber said in a statement. “That’s because the vast majority of drivers are satisfied.” Uber said drivers were making about $33 an hour toward the end of last year. The company also said it allows drivers to dispute deactivations.
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“We are constantly working to improve the driver experience,” Lyft said in a statement. Lyft said its U.S. drivers make an average of $30.68 per hour, or $23.46 per hour after expenses.
Earlier this month, Lyft said it began guaranteeing that drivers will make at least 70% of their fares each week, and it lays out its fees more clearly for drivers in a new earnings statement. Lyft also unveiled a new in-app button that lets drivers appeal deactivation decisions.
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Rideshare drivers are also demanding more safety protections as part of the strike.
Last month, the Chicago Police Department Department warned delivery drivers after three armed robberies occurred on the same Near West Side block.
Groups that advocate for gig workers in the city have called for additional safety measures after recent attacks — some of them fatal — against delivery and ride-hailing drivers.
In January, a ride-hailing driver was critically wounded in an attempted carjacking in the 900 block of North LeClaire Avenue in Austin, police said.
In December, Lyft driver Adriana Arocha-Duque was fatally shot in the 4800 block of West Thomas Street in the same neighborhood.
Another driver was killed in a shooting weeks earlier. Mohammed Al Hejoj was driving his black 2017 Cadillac Escalade ESV with four passengers in the 1700 block of North Lotus Avenue about 5:40 p.m. on Dec. 3 when someone opened fire.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
