Uber, Lyft drivers rally outside Minneapolis mayor's office over pay, working conditions

More than 100 Uber and Lyft drivers rallied Thursday at Minneapolis City Hall, seeking local support for their campaign for better wages and worker protections.

Drivers in the Twin Cities from both ride share services recently formed a joint group as they pursue changes to their work conditions, including a larger share of ride payments, heightened passenger screening to make the job safer and compensation after accidents and crime incidents.

The drivers, who are pursuing these changes to corporate policy, say their share of ride revenue has dropped — sometimes to as low as between 20% and 25% of what the customers pay for the ride. Thursday's rally was meant to shore up support with local politicians who they believe could influence their employers.

"We're not asking for anything but fairness," said Eid Ali, chair of the Minnesota Uber/Lyft Driver Association.

"We want him to be a supporter," Ali said of Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey while standing outside Frey's office.

The drivers say clear rules must be enacted to ensure price fairness both for drivers and customers, who sometimes channel anger at drivers over pricing. Right now, drivers don't know what customers pay unless they ask.

Unlike most businesses, drivers say they make all the capital investments for their vehicles, but receive little of the revenue. Uber and Lyft essentially provide dispatching software and marketing — infrastructure that is the same throughout the country — which the drivers say makes the companies' costs relatively small.

In a statement, Lyft said: "We ... regularly ask for and listen to driver feedback, and we are committed to doing what we can to help protect drivers from crime, including continuing to take action and invest in technology, policies and partnerships to make Lyft as safe as it can be."

As for transparency, Lyft said drivers receive a weekly summary that includes what their riders paid for that period. Sometimes, a driver actually earns more on an individual ride than what the rider paid, the company said.

Uber did not respond to a request for comment.

Those at the rally in Minneapolis said they hoped to become the second drivers union in the country following the formation of Seattle's Drivers Union, affiliated with Teamsters Local 117.

To show the dangers they face, one driver at Thursday's rally brought a bloodied shirt from a shooting in August 2021 during a ride in St. Paul.

Carrying signs, the drivers threatened to withdraw support from the mayor if he didn't agree to speak with them immediately. Frey, they say, holds some responsibility since he authored rules allowing Uber and Lyft to operate when he was a City Council member. "No more votes for him," they chanted. "He's gone."

Drivers did surround some Minneapolis City Council members, describing the challenges they face.

The drivers group said emails had been sent requesting a meeting Thursday with Frey but an aide said that, while Frey is happy to meet, he's unable to do so until Oct. 6.