Valentine's Day: Uber, Lyft rideshare drivers strike

LOS ANGELES - Thousands of U.S. rideshare 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.

Justice for App Workers, a coalition representing more than 100,000 drivers, announced the strike last week.

These drivers who work as independent contractors have accused the companies of offering unfair wages and taking the majority of their commissions. The coalition said in a news release that drivers should not have to worry about making ends meet and "demand changes from Uber, Lyft, DoorDash, and all the app companies profiting off of our hard work."

"Uber, Lyft, and delivery drivers are TIRED of being mistreated by the app companies," the coalition wrote. "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."

Rachel Gumpert, a spokesperson for Justice for App Workers, said ride-hailing drivers in other cities may also demonstrate or strike for at least part of the day.

The demonstrations are scheduled about a week after Lyft said it would guarantee weekly earnings for drivers, a first for ride-sharing companies as it attempts to attract more drivers. Lyft also unveiled a new in-app button that lets drivers appeal deactivation decisions.

"We are 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," Lyft said in a statement.

Uber said Tuesday it doesn’t expect the strike to have much impact on its operations on Valentine’s Day. Uber said its U.S. drivers make an average of $33 per hour. The company also said it allows drivers to dispute deactivations.

"These types of events have rarely had any impact on trips, prices or driver availability," Uber said in a statement. "That’s because the vast majority of drivers are satisfied."

Gumpert described ride-hailing as a "mobile sweatshop," with some workers routinely putting in 60 to 80 hours per week. 

Justice for App Workers is seeking higher wages, access to health care and an appeals process so companies can’t deactivate them without warning.

The Associated Press and FOX Business contributed to this report.