Above photo: A traveler walks toward the Uber ride-hailing vehicle pickup area at Los Angeles International Airport on February 8, 2023 in Los Angeles, California. Mario Tama/Getty Images.
After Caravan for Pro-Worker Bill.
“Uber, Lyft, and Metro Nashville Airport Authority are engaging in an inappropriate and malicious alliance to destroy dozens of livelihoods,” said the Tennessee Drivers Union.
NOTE: We at the TN Drivers Union are facing the largest retaliation for organizing Uber/Lyft drivers ever recorded in the country. After our recent strike caravan on February 14th, 34 drivers were permanently banned from the airport despite engaging in their right to free speech. These are working class families coming from all corners of the imperialized nations: African, Latin-American, and Arab refugee drivers.This is a major blow to drivers and their families and communities as the airport is the only chance to take rides that allow them to make anything close to minimum wage. Most drivers already work 12 hour days, 7 days a week to put food on the table.
We are in talks with lawyers who think this may be an egregious violation of First Amendment rights. Uber and Lyft are scared, seeing as how these drivers have managed to be the only union with a bill in consideration at the state level.
We urge you to:
Amplify our social media calls to action: https://x.com/
tndriversunion/status/ https://1896645780666204490 www.instagram.com/p/ DGvzdaxyyCX/?igsh= Y2pkdTl6NHVvaTlv Call the airport and demand that drivers be reinstated: 615-275-1703
Call Script:
Hi, this is [Your Name].
Are you aware of the recent retaliation against rideshare drivers at Nashville International Airport? The Tennessee Drivers Union is facing unprecedented retaliation from Uber, Lyft, and the Metro Nashville Airport Authority. Over 34 drivers have been banned from working at the airport after participating in a lawful and peaceful protest on February 14th. This ban is a direct attack on the livelihoods of dozens of workers, their families, and their communities. The airport is one of the few opportunities for rideshare drivers to earn a living wage. This retaliation is an attempt to intimidate our union, but it only shows that they are scared of our power to win our demands. We demand the immediate reinstatement of all 34 drivers and the protection of their right to free speech and peaceful protest. We urge the Metro Nashville Airport Authority to reinstate the Banned Drivers: Lift the ban on the 34 drivers immediately. Please take immediate action to address this issue and propose a long-term solution. Together, we can protect the rights of rideshare drivers and their communities.Urge labor unions to sign on to our labor solidarity letter:
https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/ 1FAIpQLSeAQG0TmhRFSk68oYLCl7wO FpgNxkv6Oy4dd42PQCKZjWT_yg/ viewform The TN Drivers Union is an organization incubated by A Luta Sigue. You can read more about our work on our website: https://www.
alutasigue.org/ .Thank you for your solidarity.
A Tennessee union announced Monday that 34 Uber and Lyft drivers received messages “informing them that they had been permanently banned” from working at Nashville’s airport after joining scores of workers for a peaceful caravan there last month to support a state bill that would impact the companies.
The Tennessee Drivers Union (TDU) said in a statement that some participants, “including those in the passenger’s seat not driving,” were banned from providing rides at Nashville International Airport following the February 14 action, during which “participating Uber and Lyft drivers had their apps turned off.”
In a message to one Uber driver obtained by Common Dreams, the company said that “Nashville International Airport (BNA) notified us that you conducted a pickup on the arrivals level of the terminal. Please note that all pickups must occur in the Uber-designated zone.”
“Due to the nature of the incident, the airport is restricting certain driver-partners from accepting rides or dropping passengers off at BNA permanently, pursuant to the terms of Uber’s agreement with the airport,” Uber continued. “Your account appeared on the list. For that reason, your account has been permanently blocked from operating at BNA. Contact the airport for more information.”
A message to a Lyft driver similarly said that “it has been reported that you were conduct detrimental to the orderly operation of the airport. That being said, at the request of the airport, you are prohibited from operating on BNA airport property indefinitely.”
“To prevent future suspensions, carefully review the BNA rules and regulations,” Lyft added. “Please note, citations may be given if you operate on BNA property during your suspension, and you will be responsible for paying them.”
Lyft and Uber have not responded to Common Dreams‘ requests for comment on the bans, which come as working people face high costs and a billionaire-led assault on the federal government.
TDU said Monday that “Uber, Lyft, and Metro Nashville Airport Authority are engaging in an inappropriate and malicious alliance to destroy dozens of livelihoods. The airport is one of the only opportunities for ride-share drivers to make barely above minimum wage.”
“This is an attack against dozens of workers, their families, and their communities,” the union continued, noting the millions of dollars in fees the airport gets from drivers and Metro Nashville Airport Authority CEO Doug Kreulen’s $600,000 salary.
Drivers have been asking @Fly_Nashville to fix the bathrooms since their first action last fall, and yet, nothing has changed.
This retaliation is not a mistake, our union is the only one with a state bill in consideration this session.
— TN DRIVERS’ UNION
(@tndriversunion) March 3, 2025
As Common Dreams reported last year, TDU has sounded the alarm about working conditions for drivers at BNA. Union members kicked off Labor Day weekend in 2024 with a strike to draw attention to demands including a cap on the number of ride-share drivers in the area, an expansion of their airport lot, and clean, working bathrooms on-site.
TDU said Monday that “this retaliation isn’t a mistake,” arguing that “Uber and Lyft are threatened” by Tennessee House Bill 879/Senate Bill 818, introduced last month by state Rep. Rush Bricken (R-47) and Sen. Joey Hensley (R-28).
The bill text begins by highlighting that “Tennessee is the only state in the Southeast that allows out-of-state ride-hail drivers to operate within the state, while Tennessee ride-hail drivers may not work in surrounding states.”
“Tennesseans who live and work in our communities, contributing directly to our local economy, struggle to compete with an oversaturated market of out-of-state drivers,” the legislation explains, calling for “a basic licensing regime.”
The bill would require ride-hail drivers operating in the state to have a “transportation network license,” which would require a Tennessee driver’s license, or proof of residency in DeSoto County, Mississippi, or Crittenden County, Arkansas.
Companies that allow drivers to provide rides without a Tennessee-issued transportation network license would be hit with a $1,000 penalty per violation and could ultimately be banned from operating in the state.