By Linda Nwoke, Special to WWT

New York City has over 100,000 app-based workers comprising delivery workers and Rideshare drivers. That’s a lot, you will say.

However, there is little to no protection for the workers due to their status as independent contractors. These app-based workers, especially delivery workers, do not qualify for protection or compensation as required under the federal labor law.

Hence, several workers have suffered untold and uncompensated mishaps from reckless drivers, e-bike thefts, and hardship that sometimes leads to mental health issues and suicide.

Yet, no respite seems to be on the horizon from the government or their employers. So, workers are taking matters into their hands and fighting for themselves. In the words of Shirley Chisolm, “If they don’t give you a seat at the table, bring a folding chair.”

The ideology behind this famous phrase made Ms. Naomi Ogutu, President of NYC Rideshare Club, establish and drive an organization to protect rideshare workers. Speaking to Workers’ World Today, she discussed the organization and its mission of fighting for rideshare and delivery essential workers on issues that affect their lives while working.

Listen to an interview with Ms. Naomi Ogutu, President of NYC Rideshare Club below:

The Organization – NYC Rideshare Club
Made up of over 4500 rideshare drivers and now including delivery workers in New York City, her organization, NYC Rideshare Club, was established in 2017 and forms one of the nine members of the Coalition. “Now, Justice for App Workers is a coalition of nine organizations and more than 100,000 members strong. The groups that form the Coalition are the NYC Rideshare Club, United Delivery Workers Association, International Alliance of Delivery Workers, The Independent Drivers Guild, Long Island Uber and Lyft Network, and Black Cab Mafia. We also have Utany and NYC Drivers Unite.”

The Coalition’s Mission
One of the critical missions of the body is holding the million-dollar app giants accountable for workers’ welfare on issues of a decent living wage. “So, we demanded that we have a fair wage for our drivers and delivery workers because the app companies take a lot of commission from us. You’ll be surprised that the driver gets only 60% of the money you pay. They don’t have a uniform commission system. We have created a petition and sent 10,000 letters to Uber and Lyft asking them to take just 10% of the commission and let the driver take home 90% of the commission,” she explained.

Other demands include the right to unionize, ending unfair deactivation, and access to reliable bathrooms. “The other demand is we want to have a right to form a union.”

Recalling some member stories and experiences, she revealed unfair circumstances that lead to the loss of a workers’ livelihood often faced by the members.” We have drivers and delivery workers who get deactivated for factors beyond their control. For instance, a delivery worker goes to deliver food, and the food is cold. All you did was receive the food from the restaurant, ride your bike or drive, go to the destination, and hand over the food. The customer finds the food is cold, and they put a complaint against you.”

She explained that the accumulation of these negative ratings results in deactivating the member’s account and jeopardizing a source of livelihood. “Same applies to drivers. Maybe streets are closed for the Brooklyn Marathon, and passengers want to get to their destination quickly. Sometimes the driver uses a different route to get you to your destination. A customer can complain and say that the driver took the wrong way or took a long time, and once they report you and you get that kind of report three times, you are deactivated.”

Demanding access to health and mental health care
“The other issue is access to health and mental health care. We want drivers to have access to counseling and health care and different facilities that the City of New York can offer to support our drivers. A few years ago, we had drivers committing suicide because they are stressed out.”
Furthermore, “Some of them have to deal with issues that are beyond our control, like COVID-19. When COVID came, it left most of us in a position that we are still trying to recover from, severely affecting our drivers.”

Seeking access to clean, decent, and accessible bathrooms in the City of New York
Ogutu explains that attending to nature’s call while on the job costs them money because of an unfavorable work environment. “After COVID, you can’t even get a clean bathroom, and you can’t get a restaurant or even a hotel to let you use their bathrooms. Our drivers must turn off the app and go out of Manhattan to look for a bathroom. They spend the time they are supposed to be making money looking for bathrooms.”

She explained that women drivers are affected by the lack of hygienic bathrooms. “I have to turn off my app when I’m in Manhattan and drive to the Wegmans in Brooklyn, across the Brooklyn Bridge or Manhattan Bridge, go to Brooklyn just to use the bathroom,” she quipped.

Moreover, they also must navigate locations with complicated policies, like Manhattan. “We cannot park in Manhattan. If you double park, you get a ticket. So even that is also a problem. We’re asking the City of New York, the Department of Transportation (DOT), to allow us some time, like 5 minutes, and let the driver park in a ‘no-parking’ zone.

Such daily work-related challenges affect the quality of service and the City’s economy because of the loss of wages and taxes. “It takes a lot of time, said Ogutu.” “If you count how many hours I’m wasting, just going to look for a bathroom. And we feel like New York and these app companies should find facilities or even have a contract with a hotel. They can allow us to use the facilities at a fee so that drivers can be comfortable while driving. So, for your safety, your driver needs to be comfortable when driving.”

Pathway to Membership
To become a member of the Coalition, workers can join any of the nine-member organizations free of charge. “All you have to do is check the websites of the different groups and register to be a member,” says Ogutu. “Our website is www.nycrideshareclub.org.”

Another way includes joining a social media group. “The other way is to look for us on Facebook. My group is NYC Rideshare Club. If you are a driver, you must answer questions and send a screenshot of your ‘Uber-like’ page. All drivers and delivery workers are welcome to join our group,” she added.

Message to Passengers & Public
In a message to the public, especially passengers, she reaffirmed their commitment to excellent service while advocating for their support in demanding better welfare from the workers. “My message to them today is when you are in the car and see your driver in front of you. Just know that this driver is just like you, going through all the problems you go through. And if you have some extra money, you can tip your driver. It will make their day. Also, please help us with our petition. Whenever you see our petitions, you can help by signing them so that you help us pass our message to Uber and Lyft.”

The Rideshare President recalled their role during the early stages of the COVID-19 pandemic as one of the most satisfying moments of her profession. “During COVID, our community did a lot for the City. We were doing food delivery to the elderly and the sick. The drivers were given PPE and were able to drop the meals at the door for the grandparents. We made sure everybody had a hot, warm meal during the pandemic. And that’s the most fulfilling thing, to see that you have made a difference in that person’s life. I’m so proud of our work as drivers and delivery workers during the pandemic. And it’s our pleasure and privilege to serve New York City.”
For more information on the Coalition, visit: justiceforappworkers.org.

  coronavirus, COVID-19, NYC Rideshare Club, Unions, Workers