Rideshare drivers call on Amazon to pay Flex drivers more amid surge in gas prices
Rideshare drivers rallied alongside Amazon Flex drivers in Vernon Thursday to demand more pay amid the ongoing gas crisis.
Gas prices are well over $6 per gallon for regular gas all over California, and its extra painful for rideshare drivers, who are all independent contractors who must maintain their own cars and cover the costs.
"Uber doesn't pay for our gas or mileage, so everything is just on us," Uber driver Lucz Laguna said.
Contracting giants such as Uber and Lyft have started recently offering gas surcharges, temporarily increasing earnings to help. However, Amazon Flex has not – and workers have already picketed the online retail giant's warehouse in Redondo Beach, and are planning more protests.
In a statement, Amazon says they pay delivery partners more than $26 an hour on average and have already made several adjustments through pricing surges in impacted areas.
Richard Meza, however, says he had to stop driving for Amazon Flex and take another job because Amazon's pricing surge strategy is inconsistent.
"It's not accurate, that's an every so often occurrence," he said. "The most average is a little bit under minimum wage."
