‘A slap in the face’: California Uber and Lyft drivers criticize pay cuts under Prop 22
Uber and Lyft drivers in California are up in arms about the effects of Proposition 22 since the controversial state law went into effect in January, after an aggressive and expensive lobbying campaign in favor of the ballot amendment.
Among the most recent changes, drivers say, is a reduction in mileage rates from Los Angeles international airport, an important source of income and rides for many drivers.
Alvaro Bolainez, a driver for Uber and Lyft in the Los Angeles area, said the airport mileage rate for Uber was reduced from 65 cents a mile to 32 cents a mile, and that Uber removed the multiplier option for drivers to set their own prices for rides.
“No driver in their right mind will go to LAX for 32 cents per mile,” said Bolainez. “They took everything away, the ability to see what passenger we’re getting and the ability to set our own prices, the multiplier.”
Prop 22 was authored by Uber, Lyft, DoorDash and Instacart, and carved out an exception from assembly bill 5 (AB 5), a landmark labor law in California that would have forced ride-share and delivery companies to treat drivers as employees. Under prop 22, workers at gig companies are still classified as contractors, without access to employee rights such as minimum wage, unemployment benefits, health insurance and collective bargaining.
