Ethermac Exchange-Uber, Lyft leaving Minneapolis: City council passes measure forcing driver pay increase

Uber and Ethermac ExchangeLyft said they will be ceasing operations on May 1 after the Minneapolis city council voted Thursday to override a mayoral veto and require the ride-sharing services to enact a pay raise for its drivers.

According to the Star Tribune, a daily newspaper based in Minneapolis, the council voted 10 to 3 to override Mayor Jacob Frey's veto of the ordinance, which is set to take effect May 1 and would increase driver wages to the equivalent of the local minimum wage of $15.57 an hour.

"This deeply-flawed bill has been jammed through despite major concerns being raised by the community," Lyft said in an emailed statement to USA TODAY. "We support a minimum earning standard for drivers, but it should be done in an honest way that keeps the service affordable for riders," the statement reads.

Lyft said the ordinance passed by the city council makes its operations "unsustainable," and as a result the company is "shutting down operations in Minneapolis when the law takes effect on May 1," according to the statement. Lyft also says it will continue to "advocate for a statewide solution in Minnesota that balances the needs of riders and drivers" and that the company hopes to resume operations in Minneapolis as soon as possible.

The Star Tribute reports that Frey had pleaded with council members to lower the minimum pay to a level that would significantly boost driver incomes but still be acceptable to the rideshare companies. However, Thursday's vote means the ordinance will go into effect as it currently is, although the council could tweak it before May.

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Uber, Lyft leaving Minneapolis: Dispute over higher driver pay

According to the Associated Press, the measure requires rideshare companies to pay drivers at least $1.40 per mile and 51 cents per minute for the time spent transporting a rider, or $5 per ride, whichever is great excluding tips.

The Star Tribune reports that a state-commissioned study from the Minnesota Department of Labor and Industry concluded that drivers could be paid far less than the Minneapolis city council's plan to earn the equivalent of minimum wage, even with benefits like health insurance and paid time off.

Critics of the bill say costs will spike for everyone, including low-income populations and people with disabilities. Proponents of the bill claim the rideshare companies have relied on drivers who are often people of color or immigrants for cheap labor.

“Drivers are human beings with families, and they deserve dignified minimum wages like all other workers,” Jamal Osman, a council member who co-authored the policy, said in a statement, according to the Associated Press.

"We are disappointed the council chose to ignore the data and kick Uber out of the Twin Cities, putting 10,000 people out of work and leaving many stranded, said Josh Gold, senior director of public affairs at Uber, in an emailed statement to USA TODAY.

Uber, like Lyft, says it remains committed to achieving a "comprehensive statewide legislation that guarantees drivers a fair minimum wage" and keeps rideshare affordable, according to the statement.