It’s weird and funny to find out if your Lyft or Uber driver tells you they are members of a ridesharing union. Not classy as what’s the brand of ridesharing.
However, in the Gopher State, lawmakers have recently introduced new bills that would give ridesharing drivers the right to form a union.
New bill
When a group of individuals who shares commonalities, such as common jobs like driving Lyfts or Ubers, unionizes, they are given a platform to air their grievances whenever they feel problems escalate, such as when they feel they do not earn fairly.
Well, the solons of Minnesota settled on a rideshare rate of $1.28 per mile and 31 cents per minute, with the minimum ride charge being $5.
If the bills are passed, rideshare drivers will be allowed to unionize and negotiate the pay and benefits they want.
Tensions arise
While Uber and Lyft do not like the move, of course, and even threaten to pull out of the state if higher pay rates take hold, drivers are definitely for this probability.
There is so much demand for Lyft in the Greater Minnesota area. It is one of the most trusted ride-hailing platforms in this area.
“We were proud to win changes at the Capitol last year, but it is clear to really address the problems we face – from decreasing pay to being deactivated with no process to appeal, effectively being fired – we need a collective voice in a union," a ridesharing driver named Adan Maalin wrote. "We are so excited that this bill is a reality at the Capitol and we’re ready to fight to get it passed.”
How long has this been going on?
Apparently, proposals for a law allowing drivers to form a union have been ongoing since December 2024.
Then, drivers were already organizing support for a union effort. Demonstrations were held, under the name “App Drivers Union,” but they were not fully legal. Yet, they were headstrong enough to let their voices be heard.
A driver for both Lyft and Uber, who has been stirring the wheel under the platform’s management for 11 years now, expressed, “Inflation is high, and car prices are high, but the amount we are making is less and less.”
Not just in the Gopher State
The same type of bill was also passed by California lawmakers recently. This bill, when passed into law, is expected to improve the conditions of ridesharing drivers in the Golde State.
Lyft is one of the world’s biggest ridesharing platforms, offering ride-hailing services, motorized scooters, and bicycle-sharing systems in the United States and select Canadian cities.
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