Uber, Lyft Drivers Plan Strike Wednesday in at Least Six Major U.S. Cities

A day before Uber's hotly anticipated IPO Thursday, slated to be one of the biggest in history, drivers for the ride-hailing company and for rival Lyft plan to strike over their working conditions and wages.Drivers in eight U.S. cities are planning a work stoppage Wednesday, Uber's last day as a privately held company, according to the New York City Taxi Workers Alliance. Drivers also are planning to rally in New York and Los Angeles.The protests come as ride-hailing firms face increasing scrutiny over the sustainability of their businesses, which suffer massive losses while relying on the work of millions of drivers who are not employees."Wall Street investors are telling Uber and Lyft to cut down on driver income, stop incentives, and go faster to Driverless Cars," said NYTWA Executive Director Bhairavi Desai in a news release. "With the IPO, Uber's corporate owners are set to make billions, all while drivers are left in poverty and go bankrupt."The drivers union is calling for better job security, a livable income and a cap on the ride-hailing companies' commission, to guarantee drivers receive 80-85 percent of a fare.Drivers in San Francisco, Boston, Chicago, Minneapolis, Philadelphia and the District are among those participating in the work stoppage.  Continue reading...