Catherwood LibraryILR School

Uber and Lyft drivers took to the streets of New York City yesterday, protesting for their right to unionize. Currently, these drivers are classified as independent contractors, not employees -- resulting in limited protection under the NLRA and other legislation. Both Uber and Lyft drivers teamed up with the Amalgamated Transit Union Local 1181, and signed over 14,000 union cards. Uber responded by saying that the cards were powerless, because the ATU was organizing against the Taxi Commission, not Uber, thus proving the tricky nature of organizing independent contractors. Nevertheless, the drivers are calling on Uber and Lyft to award them living wage fares, eliminating pool fares, granting them protection from exploitation, and allowing them to be represented by a union.