Uber Strikes Could Be the Start of Something Bigger
Service-worker unions could prove a lot more powerful than their predecessors.
A sign of the times.
Photographer: Spencer Platt/Getty ImagesI booked a 7:00 a.m. flight on May 8, and for once I’m glad I’m flying so early. Otherwise I wouldn’t be able to take an Uber or a Lyft to the airport. From 7:00 to 9:00 a.m., drivers across the U.S. are going on strike. The strikers’ demands include more job security and a larger cut of the ride-sharing companies’ revenues.
Sadly, the strikers are unlikely to win their fight anytime soon. With Uber poised to issue shares to the public and Lyft’s stock price having dropped since its IPO, and the companies are under pressure to reduce their persistent losses. The quickest solution is to cut driver compensation, which the companies appear to have been doing despite increasing dissatisfaction.