Uber Customers Ditch App Over Alleged Strikebreaking During NY Airport Protests

SAN FRANCISCO (CBS SF) — Some angry Uber customers were accusing the ride-sharing app of “strikebreaking” after the company continued to pick up passengers during airport protests at John F. Kennedy International after taxis decided to strike in solidarity.

The hashtag #DeleteUber quickly ignited the Twittersphere and spurred some customers to delete the app from their phones.

Briefly, Uber tweeted it was lifting surge pricing, fueling the backlash and sparking accusations the company was profiting from the strike.

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The New York Taxi Workers Alliance called for the one-hour strike. Many of its members are Muslim.

San Francisco-based Uber issued a response later, saying “…it was not meant to break up any strike. We wanted people to know they could use Uber to get to and from JFK at normal prices, especially tonight.”

Lyft also operated during the strike, but managed to escape the backlash. The company has announced it will donate $1 million over the next four years to help oppose the immigration ban.