Beep beep: Uber and Lyft pay New York drivers for wage theft

The MoJo Daily newsletter, Monday through Friday. [View in browser]( [Mother Jones Daily Newsletter](     November 2, 2023 If you're an Uber or Lyft driver in New York, some hard-won relief is on the way. The rideshare companies will shell out $328 million in settlements to New York drivers after cheating them out of their fair pay for years, according to a settlement [announced]( by state Attorney General Letitia James’ office today. Uber will pay $290 million, and Lyft $38 million, after charging drivers taxes and fees that should've been paid by passengers. (Both companies deny any wrongdoing.) They'll also provide drivers up to 56 hours of paid sick leave annually, and drivers outside of New York City a minimum guaranteed hourly pay of $26 (drivers in the city already [receive guaranteed minimum pay]( established by the Taxi and Limousine Commission). More than 100,000 New York drivers will be eligible to receive the settlement funds and benefits negotiated through the AG’s office, which are slated to take effect by February. The AG’s office said eligible drivers can [file claims]( to receive their funds, and that they’ll also receive notices with more information by mail, email, or text. While both companies called the settlement “a win for drivers," rideshare drivers in other parts of the country are still [fighting]( to [win]( the same protections. And even for some of those in New York, the settlement comes as too little, too late. Malang Gassama, a former Uber and Lyft driver, said in the news release shared by the AG’s office that according to his calculation, he believes he missed out on at least $25,000 pay—money he would've used to help his wife open a business, send money back home to Africa, and keep his kids in karate lessons. "Uber and Lyft stole those opportunities from my family and from the families of thousands of other New York City drivers," Gassama said. —Julianne McShane Advertisement [House Subscriptions Ad]( [Top Story] [Top Story]( [Uber and Lyft to Pay $328 Million to New York Drivers After Years of Wage Theft]( Drivers in the state will also receive paid sick leave and minimum pay. But some say it's too little too late. BY JULIANNE MCSHANE FROM THE MOTHER JONES STORE   Mother Jones Store Are you a Mother Funder? If you are, buy the shirt as well! Go to the official Mother Jones Store and show your support beyond the pages. [Check us out!]( [Trending] [Obama jumps into Virginia's high-stakes elections with robocalls]( BY ARIANNA COGHILL   ["Carbon bomb" financiers threaten world's ability to curb warming]( BY AJIT NIRANJAN   [Breonna Taylor’s aunt and Jacob Blake’s dad forged a bond—and now they're building a movement]( BY SAMANTHA MICHAELS   [Is the two-state solution dead?]( BY NOAH LANARD Advertisement [House Bookshop Ad]( [Special Feature] [Special Feature]( [We've got what it takes to end poverty in America]( The hard part is the politics—and complacency—says author Matthew Desmond. BY MICHAEL MECHANIC [Fiercely Independent] Support from readers allows Mother Jones to do journalism that doesn't just follow the pack. [Donate]( Did you enjoy this newsletter? Help us out by [forwarding]( it to a friend or sharing it on [Facebook]( and [Twitter](. [Mother Jones]( [Donate]( [Donate Monthly]( [Subscribe]( This message was sent to {EMAIL}. To change the messages you receive from us, you can [edit your email preferences]( or [unsubscribe from all mailings.]( For advertising opportunities see our online [media kit.]( Were you forwarded this email? [Sign up for Mother Jones' newsletters today.]( [www.MotherJones.com]( PO Box 8539, Big Sandy, TX 75755