Uber, Lyft and DoorDash drivers set to walk off the job on Valentine's Day

Thousands of Uber, Lyft and DoorDash drivers plan to walk off the job Wednesday in a Valentine's Day demonstration to protest lower pay and unsafe working conditions, organizers say. 

Rideshare Drivers United, an independent union, said that Lyft and Uber drivers would turn off their apps on Wednesday to protest "the significant decrease in pay we've all felt this winter."

"We're sick of working 80 hours a week just to make ends meet, being constantly scared for our safety and worrying about deactivated with the click of a button," stated the Justice For App Workers coalition, which represents more than 100,000 drivers. 

The group said its members would not be taking rides to or from airports in 10 cities in holding a Valentine's Day strike. Drivers plan to hold rallies midday at airports in Austin, Chicago, Hartford, Miami, Newark, Orlando, Philadelphia, Pittsburgh, Providence and Tampa.

DoorDash did not respond to a request for comment.

Uber downplayed the potential impact of the planned action, saying a driver protest last year had no effect on business. "Driver earnings remain strong, and as of Q4 2023, drivers in the U.S. were making about $33 per utilized hour," Uber said in a statement.

Lyft drivers using their own vehicles earned $30.68 an hour including tips and bonuses "of engaged time," and $23.46 an hour after expenses in the second half of 2023, the company stated in a white paper. 

Lyft recently promised that its drivers would receive at least 70% of the money their clients pay to ride with them, part of the company's efforts to boost pay transparency amid long-running criticisms about its driver compensation. 

Kate Gibson

Kate Gibson is a reporter for CBS MoneyWatch in New York.