Minimum Wage

Seattle's Minimum Wage Laws Backfired on Uber and Lyft. Now the Union Wants To Limit Drivers.

As demand for trips has plummeted in the wake of the wage hikes, the Drivers Union is trying to limit the number of gig workers on the road.

C. Jarrett Dieterle | 3.21.2026 7:00 AM

Share on FacebookShare on XShare on RedditShare by emailPrint friendly versionCopy page URL Add Reason to Google

Media Contact & Reprint Requests

(Oleksandr Lutsenko/Dreamstime)

In recent years, progressive locales like Seattle have experimented with minimum wage laws for rideshare and food delivery drivers. These laws have led to surging prices for rides and delivery, reduced demand for trips and orders, and no evidence of higher take-home pay for drivers.

As demand for trips has plummeted in the wake of the wage hikes, more rideshare drivers are finding themselves working longer hours to achieve the same number of rides as before. Instead of fixing the root of the problem, a union representing Seattle rideshare workers has a new solution: Limit the number of people who can work as Uber drivers.

According to the Drivers Union, which represents Lyft and Uber drivers in Washington State, there is a severe glut of rideshare drivers........

© Reason.com