Lyft and Uber said they will cease operations in Minneapolis after the city’s council voted Thursday to override a mayoral veto and require that ride-hailing services increase driver wages to the equivalent of the local minimum wage of $15.57 an hour.

Lyft called the ordinance “deeply flawed,” saying in a statement that it supports a minimum earning standard for drivers but not the one passed by the council.

  • hperrin@lemmy.world
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    4 months ago

    Good. Get the fuck outta here and let someone who can run a functioning company take your place. Functioning companies pay their workers enough to live on.

      • Alk@lemmy.world
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        4 months ago

        Well at this point the old “taxi” model is (from the consumers perspective) basically the same as Uber. Use an app to get a ride, pay for the ride, (maybe) tip the driver. Call them whatever you want, but it just needs to be another Uber, but better.

      • Annoyed_🦀 🏅@monyet.cc
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        4 months ago

        Yes, taxi, the thing Uber and Lyft and many more company rebranded into something fancy like “Ride-hailing” or “ride-sharing”.

    • magnetosphere@fedia.io
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      4 months ago

      Yup. If they refuse to pay minimum wage, they’re exploiting yyour citizens who drive for them. Let them leave.

      • JoBo@feddit.uk
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        4 months ago

        Minimum wage is still exploitation given that the drivers provide all their own equipment, cover their own costs, and get no sick leave or holiday pay. Typically, self-employment is paid at an hourly rate 2.5x the salaried rate because of all the extra costs the employer is not covering.

        Minimum wage for ‘self-employed’ gig workers should be $35-40. Pass that law.

  • Sl00k@programming.dev
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    4 months ago

    They threatened the same with Seattle and surprise surprise they’re still here. They did pass the entire fee onto the consumer though, which sucks ass but at least gig workers are being paid.

    • Wahots@pawb.social
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      4 months ago

      At least Seattle has a decent rail and bus system. In some smaller cities and rural areas, you are fucked AND Uber/Lyft is expensive af (if available)

    • Lucidlethargy@sh.itjust.works
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      4 months ago

      As a consumer visiting, I’d see that and think “Uber is too expensive now, I guess.” Then I’d not use them in other cities.

      I’m already avoiding them right now, though, so no changes here.

      • Syn_Attck@lemmy.today
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        4 months ago

        It just means you’re guaranteed a single $15.57 drive per hour if you haven’t had one the entire hour. That’s unlikely so it’ll probably be split up making it a little more expensive.

    • TurboDiesel@lemmy.world
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      4 months ago

      They did the same thing for UberEats in NYC. “New York Courier Fee” of $2 on every order with the explainer text “Due to new requirements put in place by the City of New York, workers are guaranteed a minimum hourly pay rate while they are delivering orders to customers. Customers will now see an additional fee on all delivery orders to help cover this pay rate. Tipping remains optional.”

  • JIMMERZ@lemm.ee
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    4 months ago

    Call their bluff. There’s a lot of money for this kind of service in the metro. Big rideshare is just trying to maintain the status quo.

  • arglebargle@lemm.ee
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    4 months ago

    Everytime I read anything about lyft and uber I can’t help but wonder what would happen if the drivers could get organized and form a non profit coop.

    Get a new name, app, insurance, a board that runs the day to day operations.

    Would it even be profitable then? At least it might be equitable.

    • Bombastion@lemmy.blahaj.zone
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      4 months ago

      They’re not technically a non-profit, but there is a co-op doing exactly this named, very creatively, The Drivers Cooperative. They’re only in Colorado and New York (and I think specifically NYC) right now, but it’s exciting to see that happening.

  • foggy@lemmy.world
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    4 months ago

    How the fuck is Lyft still a company?

    They don’t deliver food, how did they survive the pandemic?

    How many dumb billionaire adventure capitalists put way too many eggs in that basket?

    Something tells me that would be an easy stock to short.

    • thantik@lemmy.world
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      4 months ago

      I know a lot of people who simply just use both Uber and Lyft; and refer to them both as “Uber”.

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        4 months ago

        Yeah. And “dumb venture capitalists” describes Uber more than Lyft. They’re way more overextended.

        Food delivery? You want to compete against GrubHub, Doordash, Postmates, and local restaurant delivery drivers? It’s a losing business.

    • phoneymouse@lemmy.world
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      4 months ago

      It’s lost 80% of its value in the past few years. I think you’ve maybe missed the boat on shorting.

  • Traegert@lemm.ee
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    4 months ago

    If your business cannot exist with paying employees appropriate wages then that is a failure in the business and the business does not deserve to exist. That’s what these capitalists love, right? Oh they’re only upset when the system works against THEM, that’s right.

  • Kalysta@lemmy.world
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    4 months ago

    What?? You mean licensed taxis with unions and accountability will suddenly get business again?

      • ditty@lemm.ee
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        4 months ago

        The MPLS Met Council has been working on expanding the city’s light rail system for many years and have encountered nothing but problems along the way. Once they complete the southwest line, they’ll be millions over budget and still need to reign in the blatant crimes and obnoxious behaviors that plague the current light rail lines. I fully support public transit and reducing car traffic, but I do not currently ride the light rail because it is not safe to do so atm.