Driver Power: Huge Rallies and a Powerful Hearing on Driver Rights Bill SB 1166

AM
Anna Minard
/May 05, 2025

A large crowd of drivers in Drivers Union blue shirts stand for a group photo outside with signs about "Fairness"

Last Monday, we walked into the Oregon State Capitol building in a line stretching down the block, filling the hearing room to capacity and overflowing into a second room. Drivers from all over the state came to Salem to show support for driver rights in Senate Bill 1166.

A line of drivers walks up the steps of the Oregon State Capitol building

At a morning rally in Portland, another rally outside the Capitol in Salem, and then in a hearing with state senators on the Senate Rules Committee, drivers and our allies spoke out about low pay, unfair deactivations, and other struggles. We told lawmakers we need the fair pay standards, sick leave, deactivation protections, and driver resource center that SB 1166 would put into place.

A group of drivers in blue Drivers Union shirts holding signs about "FAIRNESS"stands for a group photo on a parking lot

It was an incredible day of action! Members of our community coalition came in person to the Salem rally and submitted testimony supporting SB 1166.

A small group of people, some in purple SEIU shirts and some in blue Drivers Union shirts stand smiling for a group photo outside carrying signs about fairness for drivers.

Drivers Spoke Out:

“I’m a full-time driver for 10 years, I started in 2014 and I have done over 40,000 trips,” said Ahmed Alshamanie, an Uber driver who spoke in the Rules Committee hearing on SB 1166. “In May 2020, I started up my app and I was deactivated—for no reason. I was shocked.” Alshamanie was left without answers for multiple years until suddenly hearing from the company that his deactivation would be reversed.

 

“I have been a rideshare driver for nearly 10 years, amassing thousands of trips and hundreds of thousands of miles driven,” said Salem-area driver Joe Jackson to the Rules Committee members. “Eight months ago, I had a choice to make: be there for the birth of my son, or drive and be able to pay our rent. If I had access to simple, automatically accruing sick pay for the decade that I committed to these companies, there would have been no need to worry.”

 

“After years of maintaining a high rating and serving my community, Uber deactivated my account without any meaningful explanation,” said Seth Aniagyei of Dundee.“Rideshare drivers provide essential services to our communities, from the nonprofits to the elderly to health care workers and the differently abled,” Eugene rideshare driver Ivy Hutchison added in her testimony. “We deserve to be treated with dignity and compassion.”

 

Kelly Kelvin, widow of murdered Uber driver Josh Kelvin, spoke out as well: "My husband was murdered Tuesday at 11:56 pm. The last time I got to physically hug or see my husband was Monday at 1 o’clock in the afternoon, because he had to drive so much and in between driving he had to sleep. 12 hours to be on the road is not okay. These companies need to pay their drivers what they’re worth. My husband literally and figuratively gave his life to Uber.”

 

Drivers Union in the News:

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