The area’s largest transportation Union partners with exciting rideshare worker organizers to raise standards and benefits for workers

 In a historic move, ATU Local 689 announced  a coalition with the DMV Drivers Alliance and the Asian American Pacific Islander Civic Engagement (ACE) Collaborative to raise pay standards, benefits, and working conditions for rideshare workers in Maryland and DC. Specifically, the three organizations found an understanding to work in concert across the District of Columbia, and Maryland to finally put in place the legal framework for proper classification, living wages, benefits, and real workplace safety.

“When Local 689 started over 100 years ago, we had to fight ferocious battles to be recognized not only as workers, but as human beings,” said ATU Local 689 President Raymond Jackson. “Workers for Uber, Lyft, and these other supposed ‘TNCs’ are fighting those same battles right now and we stand in solidarity with them. These companies are effectively using exploitation wages, predatory practices, and misclassification to market transportation services to the public at artificially low rates.”

"After listening to drivers that we spoke to in Maryland and DC, we felt it was essential that Uber and Lyft drivers are in a coalition with unions like ATU Local 689 in their fight for better pay and safe working conditions,” said ACE Collaborative Director Mitchell Yangson.  “Although these gig drivers are considered independent contractors, they are not treated as independent contractors. Since an individual driver has no control or say on these major work issues that negatively affect the driver's health and well being, drivers have no choice but to come together with other drivers and other organizations like ATU Local 689 to fight back against the exploitative business practices of Uber and Lyft."

Currently, individual drivers cannot negotiate with Uber or Lyft on the fees that these companies apply to each fare, which make up the majority of the cost of each fare that a passenger pays. Likewise, individual drivers have no say on the contract changes or addendums that Uber and Lyft  imposes on them. And lastly, Uber and Lyft are not transparent with how a driver is deactivated from the app. Taken altogether, these issues are critical to a fair market for riders and a fair workplace for drivers.

As a result, the Union, DMV Drivers Alliance and the ACE Collaborative have agreed to coordinate on political, legislative, and communications matters to ensure that worker misclassification stops and that Uber, Lyft, and other rideshare workers are finally able to reap the benefits of their labor. 

###