Members of the Minneapolis City Council are considering a measure designed to increase wages and improve working conditions for Uber and Lyft drivers in the city. Around two dozen people — many of them drivers — signed up to speak during a public hearing held in city council chambers Tuesday afternoon.
The proposed ordinance would, in part, ensure that any driver who has a ride that originates in Minneapolis, would make an equivalent to the city’s minimum wage — which is $15 per hour.
The ordinance would change some protocols around deactivation — firing of Uber drivers to give them more explanation. It would also eliminate the use of gift cards not issued by the rideshare companies, so there would be a way to trace riders and hold them accountable if necessary.
Marianna Brown, an Uber driver for more than six years, said protections for drivers are necessary because riders have become increasingly aggressive in recent years.
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“They're very disrespectful. They threaten us, they talk down to us like we're not human beings,” she said. “And when we respond to them, they'll go and say we’re drunk. And then Uber don't listen to us.”
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