Drivers from Uber and Lyft came together Friday to Tropical Park to demand better work conditions from their employers.
The rideshare drivers said they’re facing stagnant pay and high gas prices. They also demanded better wages and to end spontaneous app deactivation, which causes a disruption in drivers accepting rides.
Many of the Uber and Lyft drivers did not go to work and instead showed up at Tropical Park to demand change.
“No one from Uber has paid me," said driver Frank Ayello. "It has been 20 days since I have been paid.”
Get South Florida local news, weather forecasts and entertainment stories to your inbox. Sign up for NBC South Florida newsletters.
Jose Hernandez, who drives for both Lyft and Uber, said they are struggling to make ends meet.
“The car I drive, I pay $200 a month for it ... and I don’t have enough now to even pay for it," he said. "Yesterday I had to work more than 12 hours just to make $200."
The protest didn't end in Miami. Across Tampa and Orlando, drivers also demanded better wages.
Local
"Right now Uber drivers in Miami make an average of over $27 an hour for the time they spend driving on the Uber platform, which is at a historical high. Higher than it was before COVID," said Uber spokesperson Javy Correoso.
He said they are listening to their employees' concerns.
“Uber drivers in South Florida are independent contractors," he said. "80 percent drove less than 20 hours a week. So they get to choose when to drive, where to drive, and the vast majority want to be independent.”
Uber also sent a statement clarifying why it deactivates some accounts.
"The most common reasons why a driver or delivery person might lose access to their account are an expired document or an issue with their background check. Others are usually due to safety issues, fraud, discrimination by the driver or delivery person, or persistently low ratings from riders or Uber Eats users," the statement read in part.
When drivers lose access to their accounts, it's often temporary, and Uber said it reviews "each report fairly and promptly."
Lyft said in a statement to NBC6, “Lyft takes the concerns of drivers very seriously and are regularly exploring ways to improve their experience on the platform. Last year, we introduced Upfront Pay in Florida and across the country, which shows drivers ride information and what they’ll earn before accepting a ride. We've expanded our cashback rewards program to help drivers save at the pump and we provide drivers a weekly pay summary that shows a breakdown of their earnings."
