Las Vegas Rideshare Drivers Plan to Strike on Valentine’s Day

Posted on: February 14, 2024, 06:23h. 

Last updated on: February 14, 2024, 12:35h.

Ed Silverstein @casinoorgedsilv Read More

Expertise: Legal, Tribal Gaming.

It may be hard to get Uber or Lyft rides at Harry Reid International Airport on Wednesday. That’s because assorted Las Vegas rideshare drivers are threatening to strike for at least two hours on Valentine’s Day.

The likely work stoppage hours are between 11 a.m. and 1 p.m. Some drivers are even threatening not to provide rides for the entire day. The action is part of a national strike involving thousands of rideshare drivers and those who deliver food for DoorDash.

Organizers are demanding increased salaries, improved safety, and better working conditions for the drivers, according to the group, Justice for App Workers.

One Nevada driver who refused to provide his name told Las Vegas TV station KVVU that he and his colleagues in Las Vegas and Henderson will join in the national walkout on Wednesday.

Valentine’s Day, we’re striking. Uber and Lyft drivers rideshare, we’re going to have our apps on, we’re going to deny every single ride,” the mystery driver said. “We’re sending a message to Uber and Lyft.”

Another Las Vegas rideshare driver, Decameron Granger, told KVVU that payments from rideshare companies need to increase.

“Put it like this, I got my taxes from Uber. They almost made as much as me,” Granger said. “That ain’t right. I made this much, and y’all made almost as much as me, maybe 12,000, 13,000 less than what I made. That means they’re taking too much of the money.”

Super Bowl Disappointment

Some Las Vegas rideshare drivers were also angry after not earning as much as they hoped during Super Bowl week. The game was played on Sunday at Allegiant Stadium, and hundreds of thousands of visitors descended on Las Vegas starting early last week.

“Just taking someone from, let’s say, the Cosmo to Mandalay Bay, timewise was probably 20 minutes worse than Formula One, and the streets were blocked off during Formula One and that pay was probably almost the same. Actually, it was the same,” Granger said.

We’re sick of working 80 hours/week just to make ends meet, being constantly scared for our safety, and worrying about being deactivated with the click of a button,” Justice for App Workers said in an online statement.

The group says it represents some 130K drivers in the U.S. who work as independent contractors.

Las Vegas isn’t officially one of the 10 U.S. locations highlighted by national strike organizers. These cities include Austin, Texas, Chicago, Illinois, Hartford, Connecticut., Miami, Florida, Newark, New Jersey, Orlando, Florida, Philadelphia and Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, Providence, Rhode Island, and Tampa, Florida. Strikes are also planned in the UK.

Uber, Lyft Response

In response to the threatened strike, an Uber spokesperson told USA Today that strikes “have rarely had any impact on trips, prices, or driver availability.”

Lyft added in a statement that it’s “constantly working to improve the driver experience, which is why just this month we released a series of new offers and commitments aimed at increasing driver pay and transparency.”