The New York Taxi Workers Alliance has warned that an Uber and Lyft strike at LaGuardia Airport is imminent as a response to Uber's refusal to increase pay for drivers. 

The executive director of the alliance, Bhairavi Desai, made the announcement at LaGuardia Airport to initiate a one-week countdown to the strike, Gothamist reported. The strike, scheduled to start Sunday, would result in Uber and Lyft drivers declining fares at the airport from noon to midnight. 

“Drivers are sick and tired of low wages, of having Uber sue to steal a raise that was meant for the drivers to help cover for the cost of gasoline and vehicle expenses,” Desai said.

The alliance represents 21,000 drivers of yellow cabs, green cars, black cars, liveries and app-dispatched vehicles, the report said. The drivers were anticipating a 7.8% increase in per-minute wages approved by the Taxi and Limousine Commission in November and expected to go into effect on Dec. 19. However, a judge issued a temporary restraining order after Uber sued the commission, citing the proposed raises as "dramatic, unprecedented and unsupported.” 

A Manhattan Supreme Court determined last month that even though drivers "merited the increase," the Taxi and Limousine Commission had neglected to offer any mathematical computations that would support its decision to raise rates. 

Judge Arthur Engoron said that the commission needed to provide some transparent reasoning as well as a detailed mathematical analysis should it attempt to increase rates in the future. 

TLC Commissioner David Do termed the ruling "a technical delay, not a defeat." 

In response to the court ruling, the New York Taxi Workers Alliance noted that drivers are distressed, particularly after Uber blocked pay raises despite making significant profits, and a report from UCLA revealed that the company is taking a greater percentage of passenger fares. 

The alliance announced the planned strike, stating that drivers are struggling to make ends meet and must often decide between purchasing food and fuel to keep working. The Taxi and Limousine Commission is scheduled to conduct another hearing to discuss raising ride-share payment rates on March 1.