Drivers are only allowed to turn down a limited number of rides before they are no longer allowed to be uber drivers for the day.
It was an one hour strike. Surely they could have driven far from the airport (to avoid getting tagged by the algorithm) for that time.
Can't they just turn off the app for an hour?
I think this sort of protest requires organization. Uber's surge pricing (which I assume drivers didn't know would be suspended in time to plan a protest) basically guarantees seamless scabbing, so the opportunity cost of the protest becomes unreasonable.