Tell Hartford Drivers Don’t Want SB 1000

Rideshare drivers in Connecticut are overworked, underpaid, and unprotected. Uber, Lyft, DoorDash, and other app-based companies need our labor to operate, but policies put in place by the companies leave drivers feeling that our dignity and rights are not valued. The companies give drivers too little out of each fare, preventing us from making a fair wage; they kick us off their apps without a fair appeal process; and they fail to keep us safe from aggressive passengers, as well as from COVID. Uber and Lyft tout how they enable flexibility for workers, but for many rideshare drivers, this is more than a side job: it is our livelihood. In this time of major economic crisis, it is more important than ever to respect our needs.

Unfortunately, SB 1000 is not the right bill to address our concerns. Although it claims to create a bargaining process for drivers, it gives away too much to the rideshare companies, and gives the drivers no leverage in those conversations. It does not set any minimum standards for how drivers should be treated, and allows companies to classify drivers as independent contractors, preventing us from accessing any of the basic protections that employees are guaranteed under the law. Drivers urgently need reform that addresses our pay and safety concerns, and SB1000 is not it.

Connecticut Drivers United is composed of drivers and is committed to building an agenda based on drivers’ voices – our experiences with rideshare companies and the injustices that we face. We are here to support other drivers by listening to their problems and together creating solutions to take to legislators in Hartford and in our towns. That’s the only way we can achieve meaningful change and deliver better pay and better working conditions for Connecticut’s roughly 30,000 drivers. We welcome and celebrate diversity by listening to and respecting all points of view, and we seek change that will benefit the livelihood and wellbeing of all communities of drivers in our state, understanding that every culture has its own perspective and needs.

App-based drivers, delivery drivers, and restaurants that use drivers all deserve better treatment, fair standards, and the right to have a say in the rules set by companies like Uber and Lyft. We want protection. Connecticut Drivers United stands with drivers in the flight for our rights and dignity. Stand with us in protecting drivers’ rights and interests. Oppose SB 1000 unless basic employee protections are included.