Uber and Lyft drivers will rally at airports across Florida on Friday kicking off a historic effort to unionize rideshare drivers in the state.
The rallies will be held at the Orlando, Miami and Tampa airports today.
Uber and Lyft drivers will launch the Florida Chapter of the Independent Drivers Guild, in an attempt to win higher wages and end alleged unfair deactivations of drivers.
Brendan Sexton, president of the Independent Drivers Guild, said so far these efforts have worked in several Northern states.
“It’s about banding together and fighting for what’s right," said Sexton. "And drivers and workers all over the country and the Florida drivers are just the latest example of workers being fed up and taking a stand and fighting for their own working conditions, pay and benefits.”
Sexton said despite recent efforts of the Florida legislature to weaken unions in the state, he expects the Florida drivers to be successful.
“I think the drivers are going to be very successful," said Sexton. "The drivers in Florida are absolutely motivated to make sure that they can earn wages that can feed their family, that can house their family. It’s the driver power, it’s the worker power that’s going to make us successful.”
The action comes just days after an “Employee Organizations Representing Public Employees” bill that would make it harder to unionize passed in the Florida House.
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