Here’s Why Uber Drivers May Boycott Driving During The Super Bowl

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Levi’s Stadium will be filled to capacity for Super Bowl 50 on Sunday, and for those traveling from San Francisco to Santa Clara, a popular way of travel will be to take an Uber. In fact, Uber has an official partnership with the Super Bowl’s host committee and even has a special lot allotted to Uber drivers 15 minutes from the stadium.

However, if certain Uber employees get their way, the company will miss out on the potential major payday because their drivers will refuse to pick anyone up.

The #UberBowlStrike hashtag circulating online calls for drivers in the Bay Area to take Super Bowl Sunday off as a protest to their low wages. Wired has a further explanation of what the drivers are protesting against, specifically in the San Francisco area.

At issue are the fare cuts Uber imposed on drivers in multiple US cities at the beginning of the year. According to the company, it needed to address the seasonal decrease in demand after the holidays; in San Francisco, it reduced prices by 10 percent, and it decreased prices by 20 percent in the East Bay and South Bay. Drivers would still be guaranteed a certain amount during peak times while driving in the city, Uber assured them, but only if the drivers met certain qualifications, such as accepting 90 percent of ride requests and completing 25 of trips.

The company defended their decision to cut prices with a spokesperson saying “Seasonality affects every business and Uber is no different,” but it’s hard to believe the drivers who are having their wages significantly decreased will buy into that explanation.

Time will only tell how many Uber drivers actually follow through on the #UberBowlStrike, but if a significant amount take the day off, it could be a huge mess for the pickup car service. All of this is to say, if you’re trying to figure out a way to get to the stadium on Sunday, maybe just hail a cab.

(Via Wired)

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