April 29, 2025
Contact: Debra Freeman, [email protected], 757-452-1143
Uber and Lyft Drivers Gather and Protest on International Workers Day
Alexandria, Va. - On May 1st, 2025, at 1 p.m., the DMV Drivers Alliance, a group made up of Uber and Lyft drivers and the Asian American Pacific Islander Civic Engagement (ACE) Collaborative of New Virginia Majority, will observe International Workers Day together at the New Virginia Majority office (3801 Mt Vernon Ave, Alexandria, Va.). This event is in coordination with other organizations across the United States and other countries that are calling upon all Uber and Lyft drivers and app users to strike/boycott Uber and Lyft for a day.
Uber and Lyft drivers who are participating in the strike and boycott call for transparency in fare calculations, fees, and deactivations; due process for deactivations—no more app-based firings; the right to organize, bargain collectively, access to labor protections; and no more endless driving without guaranteed income or safety.
“The main challenge as a Uber/Lyft driver is that we cannot make the same amount of money we used to make, even if we work double the hours. Without the drivers Uber would not exist. Drivers are doing the majority of the work and companies are taking the majority of the fare,” said Napur Chowdhury, community organizer and part-time gig driver.
"On May 1st, people in many countries around the world celebrate workers achievements and march in the streets demanding fair pay and better working conditions. So we need unity and to strongly demand our standards of pay and good working conditions," said Majirul, a driver who wished only to use his first name.
To speak with an NVM organizer or to speak with a driver, contact Debra Freeman at [email protected] or 757-452-1143.
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Asian American Pacific Islander Civic Engagement (ACE) Collaborative is a nonprofit, non-partisan program started by New Virginia Majority, which builds power in working-class communities of color, in immigrant communities, among LGBTQ people, women, youth, and progressives across the Commonwealth. We organize for racial and economic justice through large-scale political education, mobilization and advocacy around dozens of issues. We fight for a Virginia that is just, democratic and environmentally sustainable. For more information, visit our website and follow us on Twitter and Facebook.