*By Amanda Weston and Bridgette Webb* New York City's decision to institute [a minimum wage for drivers of ride-hailing apps like Uber and Lyft](http://fortune.com/2018/08/08/new-york-freeze-ride-sharing-vehicles-minimum-wage-lyft-uber/), will be a boon for drivers, and may prompt other cities considering how to handle the rise of for-hire vehicles to act similarly. "It's a very big win ー huge," said Aziz Bah, a steward for the Independent Drivers Guild and an Uber driver. "We have been fighting for the longest \[time\]." The City Council [approved a package of rules](https://www.nytimes.com/2018/08/08/nyregion/uber-vote-city-council-cap.html) Wednesday that included a guaranteed minimum wage for drivers and a one-year cap on most new licenses, so the city can study the effects of the industry's explosive growth. "The most positive thing for drivers is the pay floor, which amounts to a 22.5 percent raise in overall take home pay," Bah said Thursday in an interview with Cheddar. Uber opposed the Council's rules, saying it would make rides less reliable and more expensive. Bah said the new rules should be a clear message to the ride-hailing companies. "Treat drivers better," he said. "Because no one is making any legislation or rules with the drivers' livelihood in mind. We want these guys to finally put the drivers first." The popularity of the wage guarantee [among drivers](https://www.nytimes.com/2018/08/06/nyregion/taxi-and-uber-drivers-are-united-in-backing-a-cap-on-ride-hail-vehicles.html) and the willingness of a city the size of New York to act may embolden other cities, said Alison Griswold, a reporter at Quartz. "\[Seattle\] passed legislation that allowed drivers to unionize, which is still tied up in litigation, and there's also been interest among the city officials for raising the wage for Uber drivers," Griswold said Thursday in an interview with Cheddar. "So, you could see a city like Seattle picking up what New York has done on setting a wage floor. Then in San Francisco there's a lot of talk about congestion and how things have gotten worse for just everyone in the city driving around." It remains to be seen how the cap on new licenses will affect traffic. "We'll just have to wait to see," said Griswold. "It was widely opposed by transit advocates and editorial boards across the city. It's for a year. And you know, with the subway the way it is, I think everyone wants as many transit options as possible." For more on this story, [click here](https://cheddar.com/videos/nyc-pumps-the-brakes-on-ride-hailing).

Share:
More In Culture
Why American License Plates Are Such A Mess
As of 2020, there were some 270 million registered vehicles in the United States, each one adorned with a mandatory license plate or two. And while plates appear standardized within states, when you zoom out to the whole country, the system get well, downright chaotic. European plates vary by country, but look similar. While that’s certainly less visually interesting, it's a whole lot more effective. Back here in the States, our lack of license plate standardization can cause real headaches
Spring Style Tips for an Appropriate and Comfortable Return to the Office
As life inches toward a post-pandemic world, many people are trying to navigate how to transition from their work-from-home look to a new back-to-office style for the first time in two years. Dina Scherer, the owner of Modnitsa Styling, joined Cheddar News to provide some styling suggestions for those returning to the office. 'I do hear this from a lot of my clients that they just have no idea how to transition from sweat pants, athleisure, into a work office environment outfit that's both appropriate and comfortable,' she noted.
Author Marci Hopkins on Breaking Cycle of Bad Habits for Alcohol Awareness Month
April is Alcohol Awareness Month, and while COVID-19 has not made it easy for people who deal with addiction, Marci Hopkins, the author of the upcoming "Chaos to Clarity: Seeing the Signs and Breaking the Cycles," joined Cheddar News to talk about ways people can break out of a bad cycle of bad habits. “Things that have helped me; move a muscle change a thought," she said. "If you start thinking about having that drink or whatever it is that you have turned to, get up. Move. That's really, really important," she said.
U.S. Stocks Turn Positive in Final Hour to Close Higher
U.S. stocks saw a jump in the final hour of Thursday's session, and ultimately closed slightly higher for the day. Tim Pagliara, Chief Investment Officer of CapWealth, joined Cheddar News' Closing Bell to discuss. "The markets have had to digest a lot of action from the federal reserve this quarter and it's affecting everything from mortgage rates to how they value stocks," he said.
Union Petitions on the Rise at Big Companies Across U.S.
Herold Meyerson, Editor at Large of 'The American Prospect,' joined Closing Bell to discuss the recent uptick in unionization efforts across the U.S. and what it might mean for large corporations like Amazon and Starbucks, where workers are increasingly pushing to unionize.
Load More