Tennessee Drivers Union
No Drivers, No Tennessee!
“We are many nations working for a common goal … if we don’t come together as people striving for their rights then we will continue to suffer and be robbed by two giants, Uber and Lyft. So, my people, it is important that we always stand in solidarity with one another.”
— Arkangelo, TDU’s Interim Co-President
Who Is The Tennessee Drivers Union?
The Tennessee Drivers Union (TDU) is a union of Uber and Lyft drivers working and living in Nashville, TN. It currently has around 300 card-carrying members representing over 14-16 nationalities (but the numbers grow each week). TDU’s members provide the labor for Uber and Lyft, the main transportation to downtown Nashville. Drivers are united around one goal: to take back our share of the profits from Uber and Lyft! The Tennessee Drivers Union is taking on the most anti-worker state in the country and is the largest effort of this kind to happen in the Deep South.
Who Are The Drivers And Why Are They Organizing?
TDU members represent over a dozen nationalities, including South Sudan, Myanmar, Kurdistan, Yemen, Haiti, Ethiopia, Somalia, Nigeria, Uzbekistan, the DRC, Guinea, Afghanistan, Eritrea, Cuba, Venezuela, the DR, Egypt, plus white and Black U.S.-born drivers.
Drivers are organizing because we are tired of being robbed by Uber and Lyft. According to the drivers, the apps are taking over half of the payout for rides. Drivers are earning poverty wages and most are working 12-hour days, 7 days a week just to scrape by. With the apps increasing our take rates significantly over the past three years, we know organizing is our only choice.
TDU members report that Uber and Lyft are stealing 60-80% of the fare of any given ride, which means a driver can earn $12.58 while the customer is paying $52.72. “We don’t want customers to pay too much for us. We want Uber & Lyft to take less share. [Our labor] is what is making Uber and Lyft richer and richer.” —TDU Member. Drivers have reported that the take rates have even increased month-to-month, making our financial futures uncertain.
TDU members have also reported that the state of Tennessee has been allowing more out-of-state drivers to take rides in Tennessee — as Nashville is a major hub for profitable rides on the weekends not only for drivers throughout the state but also for drivers from neighboring states throughout the South— oversaturating the market (and streets) with drivers. This works effectively as a union-busting tacting, increasing competition among drivers and allowing Uber and Lyft to impose precarious conditions on the drivers.
Uber and Lyft drivers are at the forefront of the fight against the expansion of the gig economy.
While drivers are classified as independent contractors, it is more accurate to describe them as “gig workers”. As gig workers, we get none of the benefits of direct employees or regular independent contractors. In the fashion of traditional employers, Uber/Lyft controls drivers’ pay fares, clients, and other working conditions. Uber/Lyft get away with classifying workers as independent contractors because, in theory, drivers are free to set their hours— a concept they describe as “flexible work”.
The idea of “flexible work” is effectively a scam. Most drivers rely on Uber and Lyft as their sole source of income. How flexible can the work be, when it requires you to work over 80 hours a week to avoid being unhoused? While Freddie O’Connell’s Choose How You Move Plan describes Uber and Lyft as “transportation innovators”, the truth is that the tech giant’s main innovation is using an army of lobbyists, lawyers, and consultants to come up with novel ways to dodge laws and maximize worker exploitation for profit (See The Uber Files). In 2015, Fortune estimated that if Uber had to classify drivers as independent contractors, it would cost them billions of dollars a year.
What Are TDU Members Demanding?
TDU’s members are demanding a meeting with the mayor, Metro Council, the Transportation Licensing Commission, and Metro Nashville Airport Authority. The drivers say this strike is the first of more ruined vacations for Nashville tourists until drivers’ demands are met. TDU, with the support of A Luta Sigue, has been surveying hundreds of rideshare drivers in Tennessee.TDU’s demands are based on the reality and most pressing needs of rideshare drivers.
Above everything, we are fighting for:
Better Pay for All: Increase pay! Pay drivers a dignified wage! Drivers should be paid by the minute and mile!
Too Many Drivers: Ban out-of-state drivers! Enforce the ban on fake taxis! The city must put a cap on drivers Uber Black and Taxis.
However, we understand the state has laws that prevent Metro Nashville from meeting some of these demands. However, local politicians and agencies have the power to do the following things to improve conditions for drivers and show us they are on our side:
Put a TLC cap on Uber Black that reflects the growing population and real driver demand. Enforce the ban on fake taxis! This can help combat the oversaturation of drivers in the market and our streets!
Scooters must stop at 9 pm, for the safety of all Nashvillians, pedestrians, and drivers. We must end the reckless endangerment caused by drunk driving.
Expand the Airport; Respect Drivers: The airport must expand the rideshare lot! The airport must also give drivers clean bathrooms. The airport must expand the rideshare lot as soon as possible! Airport must give us clean bathrooms: women should have two clean and working bathrooms and men’s bathrooms should have urinals to make them cleaner. Treat drivers with respect!
TDU’s Wins At The City Level:
Nashville Department of Transportation will stop ticketing and harassing drivers downtown. Drivers have already told us they have stopped being ticketed downtown just for picking up riders.
The city will be creating rideshare zones downtown to allow for safe pickup and drop off
The police department and Nashville’s dept of transportation is issuing citations against fake taxi which was a safety threat
The city is going to do a study on scooter related accidents after 9 pm
Because of all of these wins we are getting more and more members and these members are ready to fight at the state level.
TDU IN THE NEWS
If you are a driver in the city not in the union TEXT "JOIN" TO 629-276-5131. We need all of us United to create dignified life like they have been able to win in other states like MN and NY!