Drivers and riders set to rally in support of Equal Opportunity and Empowerment Act at Councilmember Brianne Nadeau event in Columbia Heights this evening
Washington, D.C. – Empower will be hosting a rally this evening (Oct. 29th) at 6pm at Sonny’s Pizza (3120 Georgia Ave NW, 20010) in Columbia Heights to stop the efforts of Uber and Councilmember Brianne “No Show” Nadeau to shut down Empower!
Councilmember Nadeau, who chairs the committee that oversees the Department of For-Hire Vehicles, cancelled last month’s public confirmation hearing of Uber’s hand-picked DFHV Director, Jonathan Rogers, after a record 1,300 riders and drivers signed up to testify in opposition to his confirmation! Nadeau then held a closed-door meeting to confirm Rogers, who has vowed to effectively shut down Empower in an effort to force drivers to work for Uber and Lyft!
Empower CEO, Joshua Sear, explained that “Councilmember Nadeau has met repeatedly with Uber’s high-paid lobbyists, while doing everything she can to avoid meeting with the people whom she is actually paid $161,000/year to serve. Nadeau is also blocking the Equal Opportunity and Empowerment Act of 2024, which would protect the right of drivers to work for themselves and ensure riders continue to have access to affordable rides.”
Councilmember Nadeau is scheduled to be at Sonny’s Pizza this evening from 6pm – 8pm to hear the concerns of her constituents. Sear explained, “Brianne Nadeau has cancelled public hearings, rejected invitations to meet with drivers and riders, and even stayed home from work to avoid hearing the concerns of thousands of DC drivers and riders.
“It’s time for Councilmember Nadeau to explain why she is blocking the Equal Opportunity and Empowerment Act of 2024. It’s time for her to explain why she thinks drivers shouldn’t be able to work for themselves like all other service professionals in the District. It’s time for her to explain why she thinks outsourcing safety to Uber and Lyft is better than putting responsibility for protecting the public safety in the hands of the agency that was specifically established to protect it.”
Event Details
Location: Sonny’s Pizza, 3120 Georgia Ave NW, Washington, DC 20010
Time: 6:00pm – 8:00pm
About Empower
Empower is disrupting companies like Uber with an innovative model: drivers set their own rates, keep 100% of the fare and pay the company a subscription fee. With Empower, drivers are neither employees nor contractors; they’re customers. Under this model, drivers are making thousands of dollars more per month than they do working for Uber, which only pays them about 50-60% of what riders pay the company.
Because drivers get 100% of the fare, they are able to charge riders 15-20% less, on average, than Uber charges and still make considerably more money. As a result, riders who book rides through Empower save money too. Riders can also request a same-gender or favorite driver, which many riders indicate provides them with a greater sense of safety.
To learn more about Empower visit www.driveempower.com
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