Colorado’s Uber, Lyft and Doordash drivers nearing a breaking point

Abdulsalam Mindas chose to work as an Uber and Lyft driver last year because it allowed him to take English classes at a community college in Aurora. And the money was solid —

enough to send hundreds of dollars back to his siblings and parents in his native Sudan, helping them pay school tuition fees and medical bills. But now it’s different, Mindas

and other ride-share drivers say. The tech giants are taking more and more of their shares, inflation and gas prices are eating into their take and there’s little transparency,

they say, over how the companies calculate prices. For Mindas, what started as an enticing proposition to be his own boss and make decent money turned into an endless cycle of

low-wage work — without the benefits of independence. “I stopped supporting my family, I stopped college,” Mindas said. “I have no money to do that.” Ride-share and

delivery drivers in Colorado and across the nation appear to be nearing a breaking point. A recent study found Uber, Lyft and DoorDash drivers in the state made just $5.49 per hour

after expenses — one-third of Denver’s minimum wage. DoorDash delivery drivers, the study found, made just $1.23 an hour after costs such as insurance, gas and car maintenance.

“Left unchecked and unregulated, gig companies will continue to shift the cost of doing business onto their workers and consumers — taking money out of our communities and

putting it into corporate pockets,” Colorado Jobs with Justice, which authored the report, wrote in its conclusion. Hamouda Ahmed speaks during a rally calling for better wages

for Uber and Lyft drivers at Denver International Airport on Nov. 26, 2022. (Photo by Kevin Mohatt/Special to The Denver Post) The rideshare and delivery companies disputed the

numbers and methodology in the study, saying their drivers make far more than one-third of minimum wage. An Uber spokesperson called the report “nonsense.” A DoorDash

representative said its findings are “biased, flawed and should not be taken seriously.” In November, 150 drivers turned off their apps for four hours at Denver International

Airport, part of an organized labor strike aimed at putting pressure on state lawmakers and regulators to take action. The short strike came amid a broader Driver’s Rights

Movement, in which couriers across the country are demanding a greater say in the system and more autonomy over their work and data. Meanwhile, drivers in other states are also

walking off the job for better pay and greater transparency. Those here, though, are hopeful that one of their own can change the conversation in the Colorado Capitol. Stephanie