Deactivations cost drivers our livelihoods — and our lives.
As drivers, we do the hard work for Uber. We put in the hours and log the miles to get people where they need to go.
But every time we get behind the wheel, we do so with fear. Fear that we’ll suddenly be cut off from our source of income, with little explanation or recourse. And fear that we have to provide rides even when we feel unsafe, because if we don’t Uber might lock us out.
Uber calls it “deactivation,” but it’s basically being fired by an automated message on your phone. Imagine going to work one day to find that you can’t get in because your key no longer works. You never get any explanation and probably can’t even talk to a person — that’s what it’s like to be deactivated.
And once Uber deactivates you, it’s next to impossible to speak to a human being who can fix it. While we struggle to get back into our accounts, Uber’s appeal process is confusing and ineffective for most of us. If Uber wanted to help us, it would. When customers who experience problems with the app find themselves locked out, Uber prioritizes fixing it. But too often when it’s the drivers who make them their money, they leave us locked out.
We are not alone. Drivers across the country are experiencing the same problems.
Drivers are coming together to demand new rules.
Drivers from across the country are joining together to win new rules about when Uber can cut us off from our jobs:
We win by working together.
We’re an alliance of drivers and organizers from around the country. We’ve won new laws and forced Uber to acknowledge safety issues, but we know we have more power when we fight together.
Does your driver group want to join the campaign? Get in touch!