SAUGUS — Boston-area rideshare drivers gathered Tuesday afternoon at Uber Greenlight Hub in Saugus to urge the company to raise its rates in response to spiking gas prices.
The rideshare driver’s union wants the company, Massachusetts Greenlight Uber, to increase standard mileage rates to $1 per mile to compensate for the increased costs of operating, and to raise the UberXL and Uber Black SUV rates to $2 per mile and $2.50 per mile, respectively.
“What do we want? Dollar per mile,” the protestors chanted in unison.
The current standard mileage rate is 66 cents, and a recent social-media survey of rideshare drivers indicates one-third of Massachusetts rideshare drivers have stopped driving because of the increased gas prices. The date was cited by a rideshare union, Massachusetts Drivers United, which said it seeks to become an official labor union for these drivers.
“The drivers are getting hit due to the gas prices going up 70 cents a gallon from when I first started, only five-and-a-half months ago,” said Peter, one of the protesters, who asked his last name not be used due to fear of retaliation from the company.
In response to spiking gas prices, Uber introduced an additional compensation of a 45- to 55-cent surcharge on every ride and a 35- to 45-cent surcharge on deliveries, which goes directly to the driver. The company will start paying the surcharge on March 16, and it will be reevaluated in 60 days, according to an email from Uber Greenlight.
However, the drivers maintain that it is not enough to compensate for their growing expenses.
“We wish that Uber would double it,” said Peter. “It only compensates for half of what I lose weekly.”
The drivers often make long interstate trips, and “46 cents for a four-hour journey (is) a joke,” said Henry De Groot, executive director of Massachusetts Drivers United.
“We are building on this momentum to call on Uber to raise rates to a level that actually compensates for the increase in gas prices,” added Munim Khan, president of the union.
This grassroots movement is gaining momentum, as the union becomes more involved in local politics. Its organizers are part of Massachusetts Is Not For Sale, which describes itself as a broad alliance of workers; consumers; and civil rights, immigrant, faith, labor, community, racial and environmental-justice groups.
“The burden of gas prices is just the latest example of how these companies’ business model leaves workers vulnerable,” said Wes McEnany, director of Massachusetts Is Not For Sale. “Without the rights to organize, drivers will forever be subject to the whims of these companies while they tout flexibility.”
Rideshare drivers said during Tuesday’s protest that they have experienced various forms of discrimination from Uber, such as instant deactivation following a complaint from a customer.
“Once after I dropped the passenger off, I was deactivated, because they complained that my car wasn’t safe,” said Uber driver Yaser Adam, who added that he had his car inspected a week before the complaint.
Another driver, Carlos Soares, said he was deactivated because of the smell of weed that lingered in his car after a customer left.
According to the drivers, the company charges nearly half of what the customer paid, but in most cases, the company’s share should be between 20 to 30 percent.
“We are currently running a campaign in Massachusetts to provide drivers and couriers with a guaranteed minimum wage and additional benefits,” said Uber spokesperson Freddi Goldstein. “The ballot initiative is expected to be voted on in November.”
The proposed initiative stipulates that rideshare drivers would remain independent contractors without the minimum working hours. But they would be paid an ensured minimum wage of $18 per hour, occupational accident insurance to cover up to $1 million in medical expenses and lost income, a company-paid healthcare stipend, and up to 26 weeks of paid sick leave.
Uber, DoorDash, and Lyft are some of the rideshare companies that support the proposal.
However, representatives from Massachusetts Drivers United and Massachusetts Is Not For Sale are not in favor of this approach.
“Big tech wants to enshrine this vulnerability into law by pouring millions of dollars into a ballot initiative that would permanently choke the voice of drivers,” said McEnany. “Big tech should do the patriotic thing and sacrifice their bottom lines to make drivers whole.”
