What We're Fighting For, Part 1

If you’re a rideshare driver in Oregon, you know that not all is rosy, both in the Rose City and across the state. When UBER and LYFT came to Oregon, they did so with the promise that drivers would receive at least 80% of the fare paid by every rider.

Today, we see the rideshare companies charging riders more and more every year, even as drivers earn a smaller proportion of each ride. And even as we witness a relentlessly increasing cost of living, drivers need to work ever longer hours, simply to take home the same earnings that we could once take for granted.

This needs to stop.

And that’s what we’re here for; building driver power by coming together and speaking in a unified voice.

You, the drivers of Oregon, came together in late 2023 to set the priorities for our fight ahead:

1. 1. Fair pay now! No driver should be earning less than minimum wage after deducting the cost of operating their vehicle.
   2. Protection from unfair deactivation, the industry term for termination, with clear appeal rights, and representation from a worker led organization to ensure that every driver is able to meaningfully access this right.
   3. Access to the benefits that all workers deserve. This means meaningful driver inclusion in the public workplace protections and benefits that most Oregon workers take for granted, such as paid sick leave, Paid Family and Medical Leave, Unemployment Insurance, and Workers’ Compensation.

Watch this space! In the coming weeks, we’ll be updating with additional posts that will take an in depth look at the problems that make each one of these priorities so crucial, as well as a more detailed exploration of what substantial progress for Oregon’s rideshare drivers should look like.

Drivers Union OR is the voice for Oregon’s rideshare drivers and we’re ready for a fight! If you haven’t already, please sign our petition and help us ensure that our elected leaders take driver rights seriously.