Uber & Lyft Drivers Guild Launches NYC Lockouts Task Force Amid Driver Crisis

NEW REPORT: 98% of NYC Rideshare Drivers Experienced App Lockouts in AugustNew York, NY –

Across New York City, 99 percent of the city’s Uber and Lyft drivers found themselves “locked out” of their driver app this summer, suddenly and unexpectedly unable to work, according to new data released by the Independent Drivers Guild today. Under pressure from the Guild and city leaders, Uber and Mayor Adams announced in July that the company would immediately begin reducing the lockouts and end them completely by early September. However, new data from the Independent Drivers Guild shows the lockouts continued to have a major impact on drivers, with 98 percent of drivers reporting rideshare app lockouts in August. 

The new report from the Independent Drivers Guild is based on a survey of more than 3,000 New York City for-hire vehicle drivers conducted August 26-29, 2024. Read the full survey results here. Other key findings include:

• No Boroughs Unaffected: More than 90 percent of drivers reported being locked out in Brooklyn, Queens and Manhattan, 76% reported lockouts in the Bronx and 52% in Staten Island. Lockouts also occurred at all hours of the day.
• Drivers Locked Out for Hours, Days, Weeks: While the duration of lockouts varied, 64% of drivers reported being locked out from working for 2 or more hours and more than one in three drivers (37%) reported being locked out for a day or more. Nearly ten percent of respondents (9.6%) reported lockouts of a week or more.
• Reduced Pay, Increased Stress, Longer Hours, Unable to Pay Rent: More than 9 in 10 drivers reported reduced earnings and increased stress as a result of the lockouts. Other lockout impacts included: 86% struggle to pay bills or rent, 80% have had to work longer hours on the road, 80% reported wasting gas and time due to lockouts, and 72% were unable to pay their rent or bills.

In response, the Guild is launching the IDG NYC lockouts task force to closely track and report on Uber and Lyft driver lockouts, hold the app companies accountable, and advocate for a permanent end to the unfair driver lockouts that are disrupting the livelihood of the city’s 80,000 rideshare drivers. The taskforce launch follows a months-long campaign led by the Guild to end the lockouts, including organizing nearly 1,000 drivers to participate in a protest caravan to Uber’s office and sending nearly 700 emails to city leaders (more below).

“Drivers invest their life savings and take out loans to pay the thousands of dollars per year it costs to become a licensed Uber or Lyft driver in New York City. They jump through hoops that take months to complete. For an app company to be able to suddenly turn off these drivers’ ability to make a living is devastating and patently unfair to the 80,000 plus New York City families who rely on driving rideshare vehicles for a living,” said Brendan Sexton, President of the Independent Drivers Guild (IDG), the nation’s largest rideshare driver advocacy group that represents and advocates for more than 300,000 drivers across the northeast, IL and FL, including 80,000 drivers in New York City. IDG is an affiliate of the Machinists Union which has represented FHV drivers in New York for more than 25 years.

“Uber told Mayor Adams they would end the lockouts by early September, but we are not going to take Uber’s word for it. This new data shows lockouts continue to be a major problem for the city’s for-hire vehicle drivers. Effective immediately, we have launched a NYC Lockout Taskforce to track these lockouts, with a real-time reporting hub at EndLockouts.org. We urge all drivers to save the link and report to us if an app company locks you out. Take a screenshot and let us know right away, every time it happens,” added Sexton.

New York City’s Uber and Lyft drivers pay approximately $5,000 per year to be professionally licensed and insured to work in the city. Those costs jump to over $20,000 per year when you add in the typical cost of leasing a Taxi and Limousine Commission licensed vehicle – and that is all before gas or EV charging, cleaning and maintenance costs. The city’s Uber and Lyft drivers are all required to pass the city’s licensing exam, vehicle inspections, background checks, and drug tests.

“Right now across the city, thousands of for-hire vehicle drivers are in significant distress due to these lockouts and we want them to know they are not alone. Reach out to us. IDG’s Wellness team is here to help. Our licensed social workers and counselors are just a phone call away and are fluent in several languages – all at no cost to drivers,” said Deborah Ho, director of IDG’s Mental Health and Wellness program, which has seen an increase in call volume from drivers in need of mental health and financial support as lockouts hit the industry.

Drivers can reach the Wellness team by calling 917-594-4898 or emailing us at wellness@drivingguild.org. Learn more or request an appointment at https://ny.driversguild.org/support/. Meetings with counselors are free. Counselors speak English, Spanish, Nepali, Mandarin, French, Urdu, Hindi, and Moroccan. If you are experiencing a mental health crisis, call 988: the national suicide and crisis hotline, which offers 24/7 free and confidential support.
 

Background on IDG’s Campaign to End the Rideshare Lockouts

When Uber began locking drivers out of the app, IDG took immediate action. We met with city leaders with the Taxi and Limousine Commission urging swift action as well as long term policy solutions throughout the summer.

JUNE 25: NEARLY 1,000 DRIVERS JOIN IDG PROTEST CARAVAN TO UBER OFFICE
On June 25th, IDG organized a protest with nearly 1,000 Uber and Lyft drivers and a caravan of more than 600 Uber and Lyft vehicles in a protest caravan calling for an end to the driver lockouts. The caravan went over the Queensboro bridge and circled Uber’s driver office in Long Island City Queens where IDG held a rally, joined by NYC’s Taxi and Limousine Commissioner who blasted Uber for locking out drivers.

See video here: https://x.com/DrivingGuild/status/1816203902146207925  Embeddable video: https://youtu.be/YEuL9CiRDDk?si=-6ZL8rydBHlB1ra6 Protest Caravan photos and video available for media use / media download: https://photos.app.goo.gl/Z33j9Q156d6WGksx6

JULY 20: MAYOR ADAMS PROMISES TO END LOCKOUTS AT IDG ANNUAL PICNIC
On July 20th at our annual driver appreciation and family day (the largest annual gathering of New York Uber and Lyft drivers– thousands attend each year) Mayor Adams attended and announced to IDG members he promises to stand with drivers and end the lockouts. 

See Mayor Adams Quote and our PR here: https://driversguild.org/mayor-adams-celebrates-citys-fhv-drivers-and-landmark-announcement-that-50000-ny-for-hire-drivers-now-have-no-cost-benefits-under-nation-leading-program/

JULY 23: IDG MEMBERS SEND NEARLY 700 EMAILS TO MAYOR ADAMS AND TLC URGING END TO LOCKOUTS
https://actionnetwork.org/letters/celebrating-our-victory-and-thanking-our-leaders?

JULY 30: MAYOR ADAMS ANNOUNCES UBER COMMITMENT TO END LOCKOUTS BY EARLY SEPTEMBER
https://driversguild.org/nyc-mayor-announces-rideshare-driver-news-drivers-guild-statement/

AUGUST 26 – 29: MORE THAN 3,000 DRIVERS COMPLETE IDG LOCKOUT SURVEY
https://driversguild.org/lockoutsurvey/

IDG WELLNESS RESOURCES AND RESPONSE
Throughout the summer, IDG’s Wellness team reported an increase in call volume from drivers in need of mental health and financial support as lockouts hit the industry. Drivers reported they were seeing weekly pay reduced by $100 to $300 dollars per week, with the biggest concern being able to make rent payments. In response, the Wellness team, staffed by licensed social workers who speak 8 languages, held five workshops this summer focused on the lockouts, financial stress and finding affordable housing.

About the Independent Drivers Guild

The Independent Drivers Guild is the nation’s largest rideshare driver advocacy group that represents and advocates for more than 300,000 drivers across the northeast, IL and FL. We are Uber and Lyft drivers united for a more fair industry. The Guild’s organizing has secured landmark victories that put billions of dollars in the pockets of drivers, including requiring a tipping option in the Uber app and winning the nation’s first livable minimum wage for rideshare drivers in New York City.  The Drivers Guild is a non-profit worker center affiliated with the Machinists Union, an AFL-CIO member union, which has represented for-hire vehicle (FHV) drivers for more than twenty-five years.

The Drivers Guild and Machinists Union have led the nation in advocating for benefits and protections for FHV drivers. In 1999, the Machinists Union advocated to create the Black Car Fund, establishing a workers’ compensation fund for New York’s for-hire vehicle drivers. In 2016, the Machinists helped drivers form the Independent Drivers Guild which has successfully advocated for and won a series of new protections and benefits through the NY program, including free vision, dental, health clinics, telemedicine, disability insurance and the Guild’s mental health counseling program, developed specifically for FHV drivers in response to New York’s driver suicide crisis. 

Media Contact: 
Moira Muntz
Moira@DrivingGuild.org

Follow the Drivers Guild on X at https://twitter.com/DrivingGuild