Nyu School Of Global Public Health Partners With Drivers Guild To Create Covid-19 Safety Training For Rideshare Drivers
Sign Up at DriversGuild.org/Flu For Free Voucher, Redeem at Walgreens or Duane Reed
Uber and Lyft drivers in New York, New Jersey, Connecticut, Massachusetts, and Illinois can get free flu shots this year thanks to a campaign by the Independent Drivers Guild. The Independent Drivers Guild, the nation’s largest rideshare driver advocacy organization, is offering free flu shot vouchers to rideshare drivers and NY Drivers Benefits members, which can be redeemed at Walgreens and Duane Reed pharmacies. Any rideshare drivers in these states who are not yet Guild members can sign up for free at DriversGuild.org/Flu to get emailed a free flu shot voucher.
«Hundreds of thousands of Americans ride with Uber and Lyft drivers each day and protecting drivers with free flu shots will strengthen the health and safety of both riders and drivers, especially amid the Coronavirus pandemic. A single driver can transport more than a dozen riders per day. A flu shot can help protect a driver from illness so that they don’t have to lose working days, and it also can protect their family, and their passengers,” said IDG Executive Director Brendan Sexton.
“One of the most important things we hear from drivers is that they can’t afford to get sick. Any illness, whether it’s themselves or taking care of a family member, it means they can’t work and puts their household in jeopardy. Providing free flu shots is another way we can help support working drivers while also protecting our communities,” added Sexton.
Flu causes tens of millions of illnesses, hundreds of thousands of hospitalizations, and tens of thousands of deaths in the United States during a regular flu season. With rising COVID-19 cases, at times overburdening hospitals and healthcare personnel, the CDC reports it is important for everyone to get a flu vaccine to stay healthy and protect themselves, their families, and their communities. The Center for Disease Control says the annual flu vaccine is the best way to protect against flu and its potentially serious complications and recommends everyone 6 months and older get a flu vaccine.
The Independent Drivers Guild is the nation’s largest rideshare driver advocacy group which represents and advocates for more than 250,000 app-based drivers, including more than 100,000 in New York State alone. The Guild has organized to win landmark victories for drivers since its launch in 2016, including a pay raise and the nation’s first minimum wage for app-based drivers, free benefits, and requiring Uber to have a tipping option in the app. The IDG is a non-profit worker center affiliated with the Machinists Union.
The Independent Drivers Guild has been the leading voice for the health and safety of ride-hail riders and drivers both before and during the Coronavirus pandemic. Amid the Coronavirus pandemic, the Guild successfully advocated for a ban on pool rides, a mask mandate for riders and drivers and compensation for sick and high risk Uber, Lyft and Via drivers not just in New York but across the nation. At the epicenter of America’s coronavirus outbreak in the spring of 2020, New York drivers found themselves without masks or sanitizer amid a worldwide shortage. The Guild worked quickly with partners to secure and distribute safety kits to more than twenty thousand drivers who were still on the streets transporting hospital workers and other essential personnel, including masks, sanitizer and gloves. The Guild also partnered with the NYU School of Global Public Health to create COVID-19 safety training for rideshare drivers and partnered with the city of New York to provide COVID-19 vaccines to rideshare drivers.
The Guild’s work expanding driver benefits and protections over the years also played a critical role in protecting the health of riders and drivers throughout the crisis, from securing running water restrooms (providing critical hand washing stations) for drivers at Newark, La Guardia and JFK airports for the very first time to winning free telemedicine benefits for drivers.
Drivers Benefits has served as a critical information hub and benefits provider for NY drivers throughout the Covid-19 pandemic. From offering free telemedicine benefits for drivers (paid for by The Black Car Fund) and tips on creating portable hand washing stations to navigating unemployment applications, Drivers Benefits has been committed to helping professional drivers get through this unprecedented time.
