Thousands of US rideshare drivers hold Valentine's Day strikes, including in Philadelphia

PHILADELPHIA (WPVI) -- Thousands of ride-hailing and delivery workers in the U.S. and the U.K. went on strike on Valentine's Day, calling for higher pay and other changes to their working conditions.

In the U.S., Uber and Lyft drivers planned daylong strikes in Chicago; Philadelphia; Pittsburgh; Miami; Orlando and Tampa, Florida; Hartford, Connecticut; Newark, New Jersey; Austin, Texas; and Providence, Rhode Island. Drivers were also holding midday demonstrations at airports in those cities, according to Justice for App Workers, the group organizing the effort.

Organizers say about 150 drivers in total were not picking up or dropping off from the Philadelphia International Airport on Wednesday. That's a small number of drivers considering Uber has more than 2,500 people registered to drive in the Philadelphia area.

Action News spoke with several people who drive for both Uber and Lyft. They expressed little love for the companies on this Valentine's Day.

"You can't rob the customers and then underpay us," said Mohammed Sow of Bensalem.

During a picket just off airport grounds, drivers expressed frustration over what they call a huge gap in what the rider pays and how much they make.

Yancarlos Martinez, of Mayfair, says he recently completed a trip from Philadelphia to State College. While the customer told him they paid $600, Martinez said he only made $190 from the more than 200-mile trip.

"We need more help. We need benefits," he said.

Martinez added that drivers are only getting 30% of what the customer pays, and he said much of that money is used to pay for gas, tolls and car maintenance.

Meantime, he said the ride-share companies pocket about 70% of each ride.

According to Uber, drivers in the US are making roughly $33 an hour.

For Lyft, the average hourly rate is just over $30 an hour, but the company says it drops to $23/hour after factoring in driver expenses.

In addition to pay, some drivers expressed safety concerns during Wednesday's rally.

"As a female driver, sometimes you feel like there are certain times you can't drive, and there are certain times you feel like you are not safe at all," said Zoenbo Congo, of Newark.

In response, both Uber and Lyft say they have invested in safety features and fair compensation.

An Uber spokesperson said, "The vast majority of drivers are satisfied, earnings remain strong, and as of last quarter, drivers in the U.S. were making about $33 per utilized hour. We also continue to act on driver feedback."

A spokesperson for Lyft told Action News, "We are constantly working to improve the driver experience, which is why just this month we released a series of new offers and commitments aimed at increasing driver pay and transparency."

The Associated Press contributed to this post.