BOSTON - Rideshare drivers gathered at the Massachusetts State House Tuesday to lobby for change in the industry and promote their effort to unionize.

Drivers for Uber and Lyft came together and shared their stories of struggle - diminishing returns on rides, no benefits. and longer hours just to make ends meet. So, they took tangible steps to start a union and have a seat at the table.

Bethlehem Tsegaye has been an Uber driver since the company entered Massachusetts ten years ago. She’s a mom and used to love the flexible schedule to work while her kids were in school and still be able to take care of them.

But in the last few years, those eight hours on the road didn’t make the same amount of money they once did

“It's no more flexible because we must be on the road like 10 to 12 hours,” Tsegaye said. “Otherwise, you don't make money.”

Now, she must drive 12 hours a day to make the same amount because ride share companies are taking higher percentages. Tsegaye said they keep their drivers at arm’s length, often siding with customers in disputes and being able to deactivate a driver’s account for any reason.

“We really don't have a voice at all,” she said. “And the worst nightmare is the deactivation. You're not heard. There's no due process to do how the deactivation is gone. I'm scared.”

Drivers are considered independent contractors, and with no home base, they aren’t able to share information. They want the opportunity to be able to connect with other drivers having similar issues.

“It's really hard where, you know, they can’t talk to each other and say that, ‘hey, this happened.’ Is that right?” said Karen Chen, executive director of the Chinese Progressive Association.

Uber did not return several requests for comment Tuesday, but in a previous conversation with Spectrum News, a spokesperson said they were interested in finding a middle ground with the state and drivers.

"I think that there is an opportunity here to make sure that the concerns of policy makers and government officials, as well as drivers and the concerns of the companies, are all taken into account," Josh Gold, an Uber spokesperson, said in a previous interview . "It’s happened in Washington. It’s happened in New York, and moving forward, I’m looking forward to it working in Massachusetts."

The drivers want a voice. The Machinist’s Union is backing them, and says that they are getting 100 drivers a week signing up to fight for the union rights.

There has been conversation about changing ride share drivers benefits from none, to making a minimum wage and accruing sick time after California and New York achieved settlements allowing something similar.