MINNEAPOLIS — Editor's note: This story has been updated to clarify the status of the participants in yesterday's rally and work stoppage. MULDA says the drivers involved are not affiliated with their efforts to come to a new work agreement with Uber and Lyft.
If you are someone who relies on rideshare, it might be a bit of a challenge finding a ride Thursday afternoon.
A group of drivers participated in a "Day of Action" that included a rally at Minneapolis-St. Paul International Airport and then turned off their apps between 1 and 7 p.m.
The "Day of Action" is a call for higher fare structures, enhanced restroom facilities for drivers and a prayer area for Muslim drivers at Lot B (the designated waiting area for drivers pickup up passengers) and other benefits.
The move comes after Lyft announced earlier this week that drivers will now receive a minimum of $5 for each ride they give in the Twin Cities region.
"We are always looking for ways to improve the driver experience on our platform. That's why just this week we announced a new $5 per-ride minimum earnings guarantee and a partnership with MULDA (Minnesota Uber/Lyft Drivers Association) to provide additional support to Twin Cities drivers," a Lyft spokesperson told KARE 11. "And it's why we continue to advocate at the state and local levels for new laws that protect driver independence while bringing them additional benefits and protections, most recently through the company's work on the state's rideshare task force."
Despite those efforts, the group of drivers that rallied Thursday say they will hold a Day of Action every month until their demands are met.
Drivers have been stepping up calls for change since Gov. Tim Walz vetoed a bill passed by lawmakers in 2023 that set minimum pay levels and offered protection for rideshare drivers. The bill would have set minimum compensation at $1.45 per mile and $0.34 per minute in the Twin Cities metro area and at least $1.25 per mile for trips that start outside the metro.
MULDA supported the bill, while both Uber and Lyft said it would require them to end or reduce service in some areas of Minnesota.
Instead of signing it, Walz vetoed the bill and issued an executive order creating a working group that will study the matter, with the goal of creating new rideshare legislation for the upcoming 2024 session. MULDA is taking an active role in the talks.
MULDA President Iid Ali contacted KARE 11 Thursday afternoon to clarify that while the actions of the drivers who took part in Thursday's action are "understandable," the rally and work stoppage were not recommended by the official organization.
"Some drivers, feeling they can no longer withstand the substandard wages, lack of benefits and unfair treatment, are planing to take a brief break from work later today to highlight our untenable position," Ali wrote. "Although this is a completely understandable response, it has not yet been recommended by MULDA. It is an individual decision, recommended by certain individuals who identify themselves with a name that is confusingly similar to MULDA."
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