Drivers for ride-hailing giants Uber and Lyft hold a rally at a park near Los Angeles International Airport, Wednesday, May, 8, 2019, in Los Angeles. Some drivers for ride-hailing giants Uber and Lyft turned off their apps to protest what they say are declining wages as both companies rake in billions of dollars from investors. (AP Photo/Damian Dovarganes)
The Associated Press
PROVIDENCE, R.I. (AP) - A strike by Uber and Lyft drivers in cities across the United States this week caused barely a ripple to passengers looking to catch a ride, highlighting the challenges in launching a labor movement from scratch in an industry that is by nature decentralized.
Activists and others involved in the labor movement are still declaring it a success. It grabbed headlines, trended on Twitter and won the support of several Democrats running for president. The action was also closely watched by labor organizers, who are brainstorming about ways to build worker power in the 21st-century economy.
Drivers say they wanted to draw the attention of the public, technology investors and political leaders to their plight: low pay and a lack of basic rights on the job.
Drivers for ride-hailing giants Uber and Lyft hold a rally at a park near Los Angeles International Airport, Wednesday, May, 8, 2019, in Los Angeles. Some drivers for ride-hailing giants Uber and Lyft turned off their apps to protest what they say are declining wages as both companies rake in billions of dollars from investors. (AP Photo/Damian Dovarganes)
The Associated Press
Drivers for ride-hailing giants Uber and Lyft hold a rally at a park near Los Angeles International Airport, Wednesday, May, 8, 2019, in Los Angeles. Some drivers for ride-hailing giants Uber and Lyft turned off their apps to protest what they say are declining wages as both companies rake in billions of dollars from investors. (AP Photo/Damian Dovarganes)
The Associated Press
Uber and Lyft drivers carry signs during a demonstration outside of Uber headquarters Wednesday, May 8, 2019, in San Francisco. As Uber executives lure investors to infuse the company with billions of dollars ahead of the largest technology IPO this year, the men and women behind the wheels of the largest ride-hailing companies are pushing for higher wages and recognition for their role in building the companies. (AP Photo/Eric Risberg)
The Associated Press
Uber and Lyft drivers carry signs during a demonstration outside of Uber headquarters Wednesday, May 8, 2019, in San Francisco. Some drivers for ride-hailing giants Uber and Lyft turned off their apps to protest what they say are declining wages as both companies rake in billions of dollars from investors. Demonstrations in 10 U.S. cities took place Wednesday, including New York, Chicago, Los Angeles, San Francisco and Washington, D.C. The protests take place just before Uber becomes a publicly traded company Friday. (AP Photo/Eric Risberg)
The Associated Press
Uber driver Estaphanie St. Just joins drivers for ride-hailing giants Uber and Lyft, as they hold a rally at a park near Los Angeles International Airport, Wednesday, May, 8, 2019, in Los Angeles. Some drivers for ride-hailing giants Uber and Lyft turned off their apps to protest what they say are declining wages as both companies rake in billions of dollars from investors. (AP Photo/Damian Dovarganes)
The Associated Press