FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Press Contacts: Alex Liao, (973) 647 -5001 | Bhairavi Desai, (917) 945-7286 
Emails: aliao@council.nyc.gov | media@nytwa.org 

Brooklyn, NY | Today, Council Member Shahana Hanif, New York Taxi Workers Alliance (NYTWA), and Desis Rising Up and Moving (DRUM) urged Uber and Lyft drivers employed between 2014 and 2017 to file a claim for their share of the New York State Attorney General’s $328M Settlement Fund before March 31, 2025 filing deadline. The press conference took place in the heart of Kensington, Brooklyn, also known as Brooklyn’s Little Bangladesh, which is home to the largest Bangladeshi population in the borough, to spread awareness and resources about the opportunity for impacted drivers in the Bangladeshi and South Asian communities. 

In 2015, the New York Taxi Workers Alliance (NYTWA) filed a wage theft complaint against Uber and Lyft with the NYS Attorney General’s Office. The Labor Bureau investigated the claim and determined that from 2014 to 2017, both companies improperly deducted Black Car Fund surcharges and sales tax from drivers’ pay instead of charging passengers. Under AG James, the Bureau reached a $328 million settlement between Uber and Lyft to compensate drivers whose money was stolen by the companies. 

Since the claims process opened a year ago, NYTWA and the AG’s collective outreach efforts have already resulted in over 65,000 drivers filing their claims, but about 25,000 drivers have yet to apply. Now, Council Member Hanif and Desis Rising Up and Moving (DRUM) are joining NYTWA’s efforts to reach out to drivers in Kensington and South Asian drivers across the city to file their claims by the March 31st deadline. 

Photos from the press conference can be seen here and credited to the Office of Council Member Shahana Hanif.

“For too long, our immigrant communities have been forced to endure wage theft as a reality of working life. But thanks to the tireless efforts of NYTWA and Attorney General Letitia James’ office, Uber and Lyft drivers, the majority of whom are immigrant men that are the sole income source for their households,  now have an opportunity to reclaim the wages stolen from them,” said Council Member Shahana Hanif.  “I’m proud to stand with NYTWA and DRUM to ensure that every affected driver files their claim. We are committed to breaking down language barriers and addressing any doubts, so no worker hesitates to claim what is rightfully theirs before the deadline.”

“Our union, NYTWA, filed the complaint and three federal lawsuits, the Attorney General investigated and won the biggest recovery of wage theft in NYS history,” said Bhairavi Desai, Executive Director of the New York Taxi Workers Alliance. “Uber and Lyft have already paid the $328 million to a settlement fund. This money now belongs to the drivers. We want to make sure no driver or their family is left behind. Please come immediately to our union office for assistance – time is running out. We will help you file for free and have staff who speak many languages.”

“I am proud to have secured $328 million from Uber and Lyft for cheating drivers out of their rightfully earned pay, and now we must make sure that every eligible driver receives the funds they are owed,” said Attorney General Letitia James. “I am grateful to Council Member Shahana Hanif, the New York Taxi Workers Alliance, and Desis Rising Up and Moving for their valuable help getting the word out. I encourage any Uber or Lyft driver in New York who thinks they may be eligible for this settlement to file a claim before the deadline.”

“For years, Uber and Lyft exploited loopholes to steal from drivers. After dragging out this fight for nearly a decade, this $328 million settlement is a major victory that couldn’t have happened without the tireless work of NYTWA. To every driver who’s been locked out and underpaid: take back what’s yours by the March 31 deadline, and we will continue to fight to make sure these corporations never steal from workers again,” said New York City Comptroller Brad Lander. 

“Since the Attorney General’s foundational wage theft settlement with Uber and Lyft, tens of thousands of New Yorkers have claimed settlement funds owed to them after facing financial exploitation,” said Public Advocate Jumaane Williams. “Tens of thousands of drivers have still yet to make a claim — and time is running out. I urge drivers to get the money that is rightfully theirs by filing a claim ahead of the 31st, and thank the Attorney General Taxi Workers’ Alliance, and Council Member Hanif for helping ensure that drivers know what they deserve and how to get it.”

“Due to the hard work of the New York Taxi Workers Alliance, their allies, and Attorney General James thousands of Uber and Lyft drivers have been able to access their share of the $328 million settlement fund established to compensate drivers for the earnings that Uber and Lyft illegally took from them,” said Assembly Member Robert Carroll. “I want to thank Council Member Hanif, DRUM, and NYTWA for this drive to ensure that all those drivers eligible file their claim before the March 31st deadline.  Many of my Kensington constituents come from the South Asian communities that make up the backbone of the taxi and rideshare industry and at a time when the federal government is acting to spread fear throughout immigrant communities it is all the more important that we do what we can to make government work for all the City’s residents.”

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About Council Member Shahana Hanif: Council Member Shahana Hanif represents Brooklyn’s 39th District and is Co-Chair of the New York City Council’s Progressive Caucus and the Council’s Task Force to Combat Hate. Born and raised in the 39th District to Bangladeshi immigrant parents, Council Member Hanif has dedicated her career to advocating for working-class families and advancing a city built on care, equity, and safety. Since her election in 2021, Council Member Hanif has passed significant legislation, including Local Law 85 (2023), which mandates universal residential composting; Local Laws 75 and 76 (2022), which protect and expand abortion rights in NYC; and Local Law 161 (2023), which created a pioneering Immigrant Workers Bill of Rights. She also enacted Local Law 45 (2024), providing survivors of domestic violence with free lock changes, personal safety alarms, and door and window repairs. Council Member Hanif is the first Muslim woman ever elected to the New York City Council and the first woman to represent the 39th District in the New York City Council.