Hundreds of ride-share drivers for Uber and Lyft in Nashville, Tennessee, have voted to begin a strike on Friday 30 August at Nashville international airport, warning of “ruined vacations” as the city prepares for a wave of tourists celebrating the Labor Day holiday weekend.
The recently formed Tennessee Drivers Union is taking action to raise awareness of their demands for improvements to their pay and working conditions.
The strike at the airport will be followed by a caravan of ride-share drivers through Nashville’s Lower Broadway entertainment district, a tourism hotspot. Tennessee recorded a record $30.6bn in tourism spending in 2023.
The workers are pushing for improved compensation amid allegations that Uber and Lyft can take upwards of 60 to 80% of a ride fare. They are also calling for expanded access to bathrooms at the Nashville airport, limits on the use of scooters at night, a cap on the number of ride-share drivers permitted on the road and a ban on out-of-state drivers due to delays drivers can face in securing fares.
“Most of the drivers in the Tennessee Drivers Union (TDU) work 12-hour days every day of the week doing rideshare. They depend on rideshare to be able to make a living, and Uber and Lyft provide their sole income,” the Tennessee Drivers Union said in a statement. “The drivers refuse to continue to let huge companies like Uber and Lyft profit off of its labor. They want Nashville to hear their struggle. This strike will be the first of more ruined vacations for Nashville tourists. Unless and until their demands are met, Tennessee and its tourists can expect further disruptions.”
A driver for Uber and Lyft in Nashville for six years who requested to remain anonymous for fear of retaliation said that he and other drivers organized together due to the poor conditions and treatment that he claims have been worsening since he began driving, with fares increasing yet driver pay decreasing.
“The drivers are doing everything. The gas comes out of the drivers’ pay, the repairs of the car because it is a personal car, so if they’re giving the driver just 45% of the fare, that leaves everybody struggling,” he said. “In one hour, I can drive from the airport to downtown or downtown to the airport and get $8 to $10, and then a different hour I can get $17. We need the pay to be consistent.”
He noted drivers can face long delays in waiting for fares. He also claimed ride-share drivers are unfairly treated in being issued tickets without warnings and not being provided adequate bathrooms at the airport.
“That’s why we came together,” the driver added. “With the current economic situation, it is really difficult to meet family needs or what you need to survive. We’re trying to fight for our rights. We also don’t want passengers to be overcharged by Uber. When they take over 50 or 60% of the ride fare, they are counting on us getting tips from riders, but the way we are struggling we understand people are struggling, so not everyone tips.”