Lyft drivers protest policies they say put immigrant workers’ salaries in limbo

Lyft employees gathered in the suburbs Friday to protest what they described as discriminatory practices that deprive workers who are immigrants of wages.

A number of drivers said at a news conference in Park Ridge that they were owed thousands of dollars by the ride-share company because of bureaucratic delays.

Lyft allows immigrant workers to sign up as drivers using temporary identification numbers, representatives of Justice for App Workers Illinois and the Illinois Independent Drivers Guild said.

But on payday, Lyft requires additional documentation and verification before dispensing salaries, which means many drivers go empty-handed, organizers said.

A Lyft spokesman said the company “takes these concerns very seriously and is committed to resolving them expeditiously. We are aware of drivers facing a payment issue due to submitting tax information to our third-party payment processor that does not match IRS records.

“Drivers experiencing issues are encouraged to review the help page on our website and to contact our support teams for assistance. Once accounts are verified with the IRS, any pending funds are released via our third party payment processor.”

Former Lyft driver Rogelio Vazquez said he is owed $7,000 by the company. Vazquez started with Lyft in late 2023 and enjoyed the work.

He purchased a new car for his job, which is now repossessed because he couldn’t make payments.

“I’m devastated,” Vazquez said Friday.

“I joined Lyft with the hopes of supporting my family and contributing to my community. Now my credit is destroyed and I don’t even have my money.”

Organizers are asking Lyft to revise their policies and pay the workers immediately.