Peter Olney:

Lyft and Uber are in talks with the Labor Commissioner, the State Attorney General, and the city attorneys from Los Angeles, San Francisco, and San Diego over the massive wage theft they inflicted on drivers after the passage of Assembly Bill 5 which classified them as employees. At stake is tens of billions of dollars in stolen wages and unpaid expenses from years of misclassification. On May 21st, the parties were scheduled to meet to discuss the future of the case, and on May 20th they heard from drivers statewide at rallies organized by Rideshare Drivers United (RDU) . Rallies were held in San Francisco, Los Angeles and San Diego. 

At the rally at San Francisco City Hall, Ibrahim Diallo, a driver  who was deactivated by Uber in 2023 gave a stirring address.

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Ibrahim Diallo: My speech for our Wages Claim

There is absolutely no place on earth where people’s freedom or rights were given free.  People always need to constantly fight with a big determination to never give up, to obtain it. 

Please never forget that there will be no exception for us Rideshare Drivers United.  So, we must stand up for ourselves, as no one will do it for us 

We Drivers also play a very important role in our current world.

Let’s remind people who we are because many tend to either forget, underestimate or maybe even neglect how crucial and preponderant our position is.

We will never ever accept to be ignored and be treated as worthless.

In the preamble of the Declaration of independence of the United States it says:

“We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their creator with certain inalienable rights; that among these are life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness.”

That is all we are asking for. Our “pursuit of happiness” is not respected and guaranteed.

Who are we?

We are part of the backbone of our society, which we can hardly imagine without transportation services.

We are those guys of all genders, colors, and faiths, young and old who are dedicated to serving you, 24 hours a day without any discrimination.

We are the dawn breakers who safely drop you at work, school, hospital and at your other errands and back home.

We are the ones who avoid you to miss your trains and planes (flights).

We are the night owls who still tolerate and accept to come back on the road to serve you, even after drunk clients often vomit or use our cars as a restroom. 

Sometimes Uber refuses to pay for our cleaning fees.

Like this bartender/girl once told me with a big humor, on a late Friday night in Seattle: “You bring them (clients) to us sober, we get them drunk for you to come and safely drop them home. Then lastly you come and safely drop us (bartenders) home, before you go sleep”.

We are those who are exposed to all kind of crazy situations, like a client intentionally broke my right mirror and Uber decline to fix it. I had to fix it from my own pocket, otherwise my car is not fit to drive for them.

We are the ones braving all types of weathers: rain, fog, wind, cold to go out and serve you.

We are the braves risking their lives, who could be victims of drunk drivers on the road.

One day of strike of all taxi and Uber/Lyft drivers would paralyze all the country and have an impact on all sectors of our economy.

How can you dare to marginalize us?

We are doing the same type of job as taxi, limousine and bus drivers who are obviously well regulated and have much better treatment.

How can you not consider us as them?

Are we less human?

How the hell can you not make sure we have a better treatment?

Are you receiving some cut from Uber and Lyft?

How can California and the Federal Government not guarantee equal dignity to both Uber&Lyft drivers?

How can you close your eyes and ignore the crime which has been happening for so long in your state, your country?

When we see or know about an injustice, and we can do something to prevent or stop it, but don’t do anything, then we are crystal clearly complicit.

Consequently, if California government does not definitely eradicate this 21^st century slavery (which is a kind of sharecropping), we Uber/Lyft drivers hold them complicit and responsible, as they are the guarantor of justice for their citizens’ welfare — “we hold these truths to be self-evident…our pursuit of happiness…” which is in the preamble of the Declaration of Independence of the United States.

Uber said they were losing money, which is why they could not raise drivers’ income and pay their shareholders. Yet they paid about $200 million to their lawyers to lobby to reverse PROP 22.

How do you dare to underpay and exploit us?

If Uber and Lyft clients, even non clients, knew what could be the negative impacts of the bad treatments we are undergoing, everyone would join on the street to come and fight for us to have more safety.

What are the risks to which people can be exposed with the current situation?

Do you want to ride with a stressed, depressed, tired, and sleepy driver?

Do you want to ride with a hungry and angry driver?

Certainly no.

But FYI, many drivers are, because they are obliged to drive 10 to 12 hours per shift for 6, or even 7 days a week to meet the ends.

Remember also, that when Uber drivers are affected their families and dear ones are as well. So too schools, and other work places because “WE ALL ARE ONE”.

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