Thousands of U.S. ride-hailing workers plan to park their cars and picket at major U.S. airports Wednesday in what organizers say is their largest strike yet in a drive for better pay and benefits.

Uber and Lyft drivers plan daylong strikes in Chicago; Philadelphia; Pittsburgh; Miami; Orlando and Tampa, Florida; Hartford, Connecticut; Newark, New Jersey; Austin, Texas; and Providence, Rhode Island. Drivers also plan to hold midday demonstrations at airports in those cities, according to Justice for App Workers, the group organizing the effort.

  • trackcharlie@lemmynsfw.com
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    9 months ago

    They can strike all they want, they work for a business whose model only functions off of squeezing their employees, so it’s either squeeze the employee’s or collapse.

    Personally I think they should collapse and people should riot in the streets until their respective governments cave and say fuck you to the oil industry and start building public transport infrastructure

      • trackcharlie@lemmynsfw.com
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        9 months ago

        They should just quit and find other work.

        Striking in a dead industry is pointless and a complete waste of time and effort, not to mention actively detrimental to those wasting their time doing this instead of specializing in a different career.

        • Rediphile@lemmy.ca
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          9 months ago

          Yeah, striking as contractors isn’t meaningful. I fully support strikes btw and am far left, but it just doesn’t work for contract work. It only works when a legitimate union is formed. And the first step to achieving that is the refusal of contract work.

          • trackcharlie@lemmynsfw.com
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            9 months ago

            Yep. It’s seriously disconcerting the number of people who fundamentally don’t understand basic concepts of employment

    • Neato@ttrpg.network
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      9 months ago

      What would actually happen is shitty taxis would come back and most places in the US would lose the ability to get ad hoc transportation.

      • trackcharlie@lemmynsfw.com
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        9 months ago

        So be it. If you don’t fight for it you don’t get it. No amount of striking will make uber profitable and their employee’s paid a living wage. End of story.

  • Upsidedownturtle@lemmy.world
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    9 months ago

    Somehow I don’t believe their numbers. Average $30/hr and $23/hr after expenses. IRS milage is $0.67/mi. Are they really saying über drivers are only driving about 10 miles every hour, or are they just offloading that working expense onto drivers and only accounting for the ~$3 per gallon fuel consumption?

    • LifeOfChance@lemmy.world
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      9 months ago

      Yupp! My dad does Uber and he went out about an hour ago and is already up $250 without even being in a surge area. He’s expecting to make about $5k today/tonight working from 10am-1am. He says he’s never had them back to back like he is today. He expects tonight to be stupid busy and again over the weekend.

    • Rediphile@lemmy.ca
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      9 months ago

      Obviously yes. I imagine many people with nearly dead accounts will check the app and work this, and only this, day specifically for a good rate.

      That’s how contract employment works. Work when you want at a price that you agree to. No guarantees and no commitment. It’s no way to live, which is why I pursued a salaried career. But it is useful in specific situations.

  • werefreeatlast@lemmy.world
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    9 months ago

    Today is the day. Are they doing it? I mean are they going on strike! Please don’t tell me if they currently doing it, or what their favorite position is

    • Sir_Kevin@lemmy.dbzer0.com
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      9 months ago

      It varies greatly from region to region. Don’t assume that money will keep coming. In a couple of years the roads could very well be saturated by other drivers.