Fair Drives, Safe Rides Ordinance Victory Joint Statement

Council Member Wonsley, Council Member Chavez, and Council Member Osman

Today we are proud that the majority of the Minneapolis City Council stood with workers and passed a policy that will protect basic workers’ rights and dignified wages for thousands of Uber and Lyft drivers. On a vote of 7-5, the Fair Rides, Safe Drives ordinance passed and is heading to the Mayor’s desk for a signature or veto. We urge Mayor Frey to stand with workers and sign this ordinance into law. 

Since Uber and Lyft entered the market, drivers have worked in an almost completely unregulated work environment with often very low wages and essentially no workers’ rights. In 2022, drivers started organizing at City Hall and the State Capitol demanding basic workers’ rights protections and minimum compensation standards. For the last eight months, we have worked in close partnership with drivers, national experts, and city staff to write a policy that protects drivers and riders, creating a more equitable and just city for all.

In May of 2023, the State Legislature passed a policy to protect rideshare drivers’ rights statewide. Under threats and pressure from corporate lobbyists, Governor Tim Walz vetoed the policy. The Minneapolis City Council’s action today shows that local legislators believe drivers deserve living wages and basic rights. We emphatically urge Mayor Frey to not cave to corporate pressure and ask him to sign the ordinance into law. 

Policy highlights include:

• Guarantee drivers a minimum compensation of $0.51 per minute and $1.40 per mile that they have a rider in the vehicle, rates that increase proportional to the city’s minimum wage.
• Increase accessibility with a $0.41 per mile incentive for wheelchair accessible vehicles, with protection against passing on the cost to the rider. 
• Guarantee riders and drivers get receipts detailing how much the rider was charged, how much the driver earned, and how much went to the company.
• Require that riders using gift cards also supply basic identifying information in order to increase accountability for rider misconduct or criminal activity.
• Establish policies and timelines for why and how a company can deactivate a driver.
• Protects the ability for the company to immediately deactivate a driver for endangering rider safety or the public.
• Establish rights and timelines for a driver to challenge a deactivation and the right to representation in such challenges.
• Give the city the authority to create and/or fund a nonprofit drivers resource center to support education, advocacy, and legal representation for drivers. 

A large majority of rideshare drivers in Minneapolis are workers of color. The lack of minimum wages and workers’ rights protections in the industry is a racial and economic justice failure that this policy will help correct.

Sincerely,

Council Member Robin Wonsley

Council Member Jason Chavez

Council Member Jamal Osman