Topic: San Francisco rideshare and delivery drivers demand more PPE
Rideshare and delivery drivers gathered outside Uber’s San Francisco headquarters Wednesday morning to demand that companies like Uber, Lyft and DoorDash provide them with adequate personal protective equipment and compensate them for the time it takes to disinfect vehicles throughout the day.
Dozens of drivers from several app-based services blocked off Market Street in downtown San Francisco and turned off their apps for two hours to highlight what they described as a lack of action from gig companies to keep them safe during the coronavirus pandemic.
“Eleven months into this pandemic and workers are still asking for the most basic life-saving protections for themselves, their families, and their communities,” Cherri Murphy, a Lyft driver and organizer with Gig Workers Rising, one of the groups behind the protest, said.
Organizers distributed masks and cleaning supplies to drivers, who wiped down their cars in public to demonstrate the time and effort required to keep themselves and customers safe. Most drivers spent 10 to 15 minutes using wipes and cleaning spray to disinfect frequently touched surfaces of the car, including door handles and lock buttons.
“I need the companies to show us that they really support us,” said Saori Okawa, a delivery driver for DoorDash and Instacart. “They need to give us way more PPE and more often.”
Okawa told CBS News she works 12-hour shifts five to six days a week and cleans her vehicle every day before leaving home. Throughout the day, Okawa said she stops to disinfect her car three to four times.
“I need masks and I need gloves because we’re handling food and I need face shield[s] because some customers don’t wear masks,” Okawa said.
Topic Discussed: San Francisco rideshare and delivery drivers demand more PPE
