Wed
May 8 2019
06:25 am
Uber/Lyft drivers on strike today - cue violins
By: bizgrrl

[Uber/Lyft] Drivers are pushing for better treatment and improved conditions, but the specific demands vary by organizing group. For Rideshare Drivers United, they include having an elected driver representative added to the boards of Uber and Lyft, a 10% commission cap on driver earnings, introducing an hourly minimum wage similar to New York City's, and a transparent and speedy appeals process for when drivers are de-activated. (Those are just a few of the desired protections, according to a driver bill of rights posted on Rideshare Drivers United's website.)

The strikes are expected to happen across major US cities, as well as parts of the United Kingdom, Australia and South America. Participating drivers say they intend to send a message to Uber and its rivals: They want livable incomes, job security and regulated fares, among other demands.

In San Diego and Los Angeles, drivers are slated to cease working for 24 hours. In Atlanta, workers plan to log off ride-hail apps for 12 hours. And in New York City, there is a two-hour strike planned from 7 am ET to 9 am ET, which are busy commuting hours.

That's what cab drivers have/had, but Uber/Lyft, the company/contractors, didn't care. Would Uber/Lyft, the company/contractors, be so successful if they provided these demands? Is it true that soon enough the companies won't need human drivers at all?

Topics:
Alex_Falk's picture

"cue violins"

Submitted by Alex_Falk on Wed, 2019/05/08 - 8:19am.

when workers go on strike, the people active in actual "progressive" political networks in tennessee and elsewhere remind each other to not cross picket lines.... meanwhile "progressive citizen media for east tennessee" sarcastically says "cue the violins" ? Y I K E S

michael kaplan's picture

what does "cue violins"

Submitted by michael kaplan on Wed, 2019/05/08 - 9:42pm.
(in reply to Alex_Falk)

what does "cue violins" supposed to mean?

bizgrrl's picture

In Nashville, Some drivers

Submitted by bizgrrl on Wed, 2019/05/08 - 10:40am.

In Nashville,

Some drivers told News4 while they hope the strike evokes change, they can’t afford to take the day off.

bizgrrl's picture

Are Amazon, Uber, Lyft the

Submitted by bizgrrl on Wed, 2019/05/08 - 10:42am.

Are Amazon, Uber, Lyft the reason for low unemployment?

cafkia's picture

No, they are not. They are a

Submitted by cafkia on Thu, 2019/05/09 - 10:11am.
(in reply to bizgrrl)

No, they are not. They are a symptom of the coming technological apocalypse known as the Singularity. They are also the result of humans who in the face of all known evidence, continue to think that if they just try hard enough and hold their mouths just right that they can keep doing things the way they have always done them and said things will keep working out.

Taxi companies did not evolve with the evolving tech. The last time I called for a taxi, my wait was longer than if I had gone out to catch a bus and I had no idea of when the car would actually show up. I had no idea of what the charge would be. I had no idea of what the car would look like or who the driver was. Now, I am not a hawt young girl so there was relatively little danger to me but I'm a true Progressive so I do not need for things to affect me directly to be concerned about them.

I do NOT think Uber and Lyft are final solutions. They and Amazon are but eddies in a hurricane wind and blocking them will not stop the hurricane.

bizgrrl's picture

+1

Submitted by bizgrrl on Thu, 2019/05/09 - 10:19am.
(in reply to cafkia)

"are but eddies in a hurricane wind and blocking them will not stop the hurricane."

Love it.

fischbobber's picture

Curious.

Submitted by fischbobber on Wed, 2019/05/08 - 12:18pm.

Exactly where does an Uber workforce set up a picket line?
Who is their union?
Do they just want the benefits, or are they in for the sacrifice as well?

Alex_Falk's picture

curious yikes

Submitted by Alex_Falk on Wed, 2019/05/08 - 1:20pm.
(in reply to fischbobber)

not sure what ratio of intentional snark and/or laziness prompted these "questions", i am genuinely curious why both a host and a poster on a "progressive" forum are immediately hostile to workers organizing & striking.

Somebody's picture

In the current bizarro world,

Submitted by Somebody on Wed, 2019/05/08 - 4:22pm.
(in reply to Alex_Falk)

In the current bizarro world, "conservatives" are pro-Russia, anti-free trade, indifferent to deficits, anti-FBI, and couldn't care less that their leader paid for the silence of the porn star he screwed while his third trophy wife was pregnant with his youngest son.

Progressives being hostile to workers on strike is pretty tame by comparison, isn't it?

Alex_Falk's picture

hmm

Submitted by Alex_Falk on Wed, 2019/05/08 - 4:55pm.
(in reply to Somebody)

actually, liberals being antagonistic toward the working class instead of expressing support and solidarity is illustrative of one the major reasons the far right continues to have a stranglehold over our politics & the liberal class / party is seen as elite and out of touch.

what’s tame in comparison (since we’re apparently playing this game) is a senile real estate grifter having multiple divorces and a rendevous with a sex worker (or porn star, if your choice of politically effective strategy is to imply something negative about daniels’ character due to the nature of her work in order to smear the senile grifter)

fischbobber's picture

No, I'm just kind of curious

Submitted by fischbobber on Wed, 2019/05/08 - 11:58pm.
(in reply to Alex_Falk)

I've been listening to these guys all day, but this system works because it pays fast and there's no communication within the company. I'm curious to see how the strike is going. Lyft just went public and Uber goes soon. How in the hell would one ever organize these workers? I'm not hostile, just old. if they were to get 25% of the workforce participating, it would force an updating in the business model. There is going to have to be an updating in the business model anyway. This independent contractor crap has got to go. But, organizing them and restructuring what should be the companies legitimate debt, vehicles, maintenance, living wages, health insurance, pension etc., would seem to be a nightmare. I'm following out of professional curiosity and I'm rooting for the drivers. Didn't mean to scare ya.

I had no idea I was a host. Thanks for the heads up. Are there duties involved?I don't have to go to meetings, do I?

Alex_Falk's picture

my bad!

Submitted by Alex_Falk on Thu, 2019/05/09 - 5:54am.
(in reply to fischbobber)

i apologize, "cue violins" really set me off! you're not wrong regarding the challenges of unionizing the sharing economy dystopia. i suppose i was in shock to see apparent scorn toward the workers and the effort while the rest of my feed is filled with support.

as far as achieving what seem reasonable goals (seizing the public narrative around the time of the IPO & receiving explicit support from sympathetic political leaders) i believe yesterday's action succeeded!

R. Neal's picture

(link...) (link...)

Submitted by R. Neal on Wed, 2019/05/08 - 5:52pm.

(link...)

(link...)

fischbobber's picture

Pays fast.

Submitted by fischbobber on Thu, 2019/05/09 - 12:10am.

The single greatest holder of short term debt is the worker. We get no interest on our labor, but our injuries are immediate. Somehow it doesn't seem fair.

In the case of the union worker though, what we get in return is a fair price for our labor and benefits designed to keep us healthy and stable.

Uber/Lyft has solved that by paying instantly. It can be a fun way to pick up a few bucks, but it's tough to set up a schedule, and run it, that produces enough income for a middle class life.That industry should be regulated. It should also be unionized. That provides the rider three levels of protection/standards providing for a safer, quicker experience. It will also get the drivers income up to where it should be.

yellowdog's picture

Yes. The whole gig economy and "contractors"

Submitted by yellowdog on Thu, 2019/05/09 - 10:16am.
(in reply to fischbobber)

instead of employees is an intentional assault on working people. So is Amazon. It is not an accident that it is very nearly impossible to organize unions in these sectors...and most of my "liberal" friends rely on these companies for their pretty comfortable lifestyles.

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