After a two-year campaign by the Independent Drivers Guild (IDG), more than 76,800 New York City drivers will see a pay increase beginning February 1, 2019. We are proud to be the first driver’s organization in the nation to win the protection of a pay floor – and one that the city estimates will increase driver earnings by more than $626 million per year.
In December, New York City’s Taxi and Limousine Commission (TLC) approved landmark rules setting a pay floor for the city’s app-based drivers that will raise pay by an average of nearly $10,000 per year. You can check your receipts against the TLC’s new pay calculator on their website to make sure you are being paid correctly.
A city-commissioned analysis found that 96% of the city’s app-based drivers have been making less than the equivalent of minimum wage after expenses. The low pay by app companies has put downward pressure on wages for drivers across the city, whether you drive a yellow cab, green taxi, livery or black car. By raising the minimum pay for app-based drivers, the city has taken an important step toward ending the race to the bottom.
There are still improvements to the pay rules that we need to fight for. More than 16,000 drivers signed our petition for pay rules, which also included a higher pay floor for certain classes of vehicles that are more expensive to own or lease and operate. Our petition also called for full deadhead pay for trips outside the city. While the TLC did include a premium “out of town” pay rate, the rate falls short of fully compensating drivers for their time and mileage. We also demanded a cap on app fees to prevent companies from overcharging riders, underpaying drivers and pocketing the difference.
We will continue advocating for these and other improvements to the new rules and we hope you will join us to stay up to date on these and other pressing issues. We urge you to sign up at drivingguild.org.
