Independent Drivers Guild Celebrates New York City’s Commitment to Put Forward Livable Wage Rules This Summer

In response to a formal rulemaking petition from the Independent Drivers Guild (IDG), New York City’s Taxi and Limousine Commission (TLC) stated it plans to put forward rules on industry-wide for-hire vehicle driver income and pay transparency later this summer. The Commission responded to groundbreaking new pay rules proposed by the IDG, a Machinists Union affiliate which represents and advocates for more than 60,000 app-based drivers in the city, stating that the Commission “is in the midst of analyzing various methodologies and will include the one you proposed in this process.” The city is required to respond to rule petitions within sixty days, either agreeing to initiate rulemaking by a certain date or denying the request. In this case, the city responded that it plans to initiate rulemaking in approximately two months.

“New York City could be the first in the nation to set a livable wage rule that applies to drivers for apps like Uber and Lyft. More than 60,000 New York City families depend on the earnings of app-based drivers, but are struggling under the weight of tens of thousands of dollars in annual expenses as apps take larger and larger cuts. Thousands of drivers with the Guild have been waging a campaign for a livable, minimum pay rate for many months and we are pleased that the TLC plans to act this summer,” said Jim Conigliaro, Jr., founder of the Independent Drivers Guild. Read More.