Recently, the New York Taxi Workers Alliance (NYTWA) has urged Chinese ride-hailing drivers working for Uber and Lyft to pay attention to a potential refund opportunity. Drivers who worked for these companies between 2014 and 2017 may be eligible for a refund, with the deadline for applying set for the end of this month.
The union has stated that there is an amount from 8 years ago that Uber and Lyft overcharged drivers which needs to be refunded. While most drivers have already received their refunds, the union believes that there are still drivers who may not have been notified. Bigu Haider, a representative of the NYTWA, reached out to encourage Chinese drivers to apply for the refund as soon as possible.
According to Haider, drivers who worked for Uber between November 10, 2014, and May 31, 2017, as well as those who worked for Lyft between November 2015 and July 2017, are eligible to apply. He emphasized the importance of this information, expressing concerns that many drivers in the Chinese community may not be aware of it. He emphasized that the deadline for application is midnight on January 31, 2025.
It has been reported that the majority of drivers have already received their refunds. One Chinese driver, Mr. Yang, received his compensation last month.
“I saw my name on the list, so I automatically received the compensation last month,” said Mr. Yang. “Since I did not work night shifts during those years, the compensation wasn’t substantial, just over 8,000 dollars. I know some night drivers were compensated with over 10,000 dollars.”
On January 7, the New York State Attorney General’s office announced a settlement agreement of up to 328 million dollars between Uber, Lyft, and the NYTWA, a union representing drivers.
According to the AG’s office, Uber had deducted sales tax and “Black Car Fund” fees from driver earnings between 2014 and 2017, costs that should have been covered by passengers. Lyft had a similar practice from 2015 to 2017, deducting a 11.4% “service fee”, equivalent to sales tax and “Black Car Fund” fees that passengers should have paid.
In 2015, the union complained to the AG’s office, demanding that the companies refund the overcharged fees. In November 2023, a preliminary settlement agreement was reached between the AG’s office, Uber, and Lyft.
“After 8 and a half years of effort, Uber and Lyft started returning 328 million dollars to the 80,000 drivers who drove for them between 2014 and 2017,” said Bhairavi Desai, NYTWA chair, in a statement with photos of drivers holding checks ranging from 20,000 to 30,000 dollars.
Desai explained that the union lodged complaints with the AG’s office in 2015 and filed several lawsuits against Uber starting in 2016. They collected signatures from many drivers who had their wages stolen and presented them to the AG’s office, ultimately leading to this victory. “If you are one of these drivers, please contact the NYTWA immediately.”
In this historic settlement, over 100,000 New York drivers are eligible for the settlement payments and accompanying benefits. As of December 18 last year, more than 88,000 claims had been submitted.
The settlement also includes benefits for drivers. Due to the lack of paid sick leave previously, Uber and Lyft drivers will now accumulate paid sick leave, with a limit of 56 hours per year after working 30 hours. The companies are required to inform drivers of the actual amount paid by passengers after each trip, offer multilingual instant chat support within the app, provide accurate hiring notices and income details to drivers, and allow drivers to appeal any deactivation of their accounts on the platforms.
In case of any issues with submitting claims, you can contact Rust Consulting at 1-800-625-2332 for Uber or 1-800-433-5314 for Lyft. You can also email the union at [email protected] or visit the New York Taxi Workers Alliance at 31-10 37th Ave, Suite 300 (3rd Floor), Long Island City, NY 11101, or call 718-706-9892 or email [email protected].