Uber and Lyft drivers demand better wages, workplace protections and driver-led unions – TechCrunch



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While the Assembly's Bill 5 reaches the Legislative Assembly of the State of California, Uber and Lyft drivers voice their demands for a state of the art. better pay, basic workplace protections and the right to organize through unions. Tomorrow, Lyft and Uber The drivers will meet in front of Uber headquarters in San Francisco to make their voices heard.

As stated in Dynamex Operations West, Inc. c. The Los Angeles Superior Court, AB-5 seeks to codify the decision. In that case, the court ruled that Dynamex was wrongly clbadifying its workers as independent contractors. AB-5, which has already been pbaded by the State Assembly of California, would ensure that workers in the Greater Economy are entitled to minimum wage, workers' compensation and other benefits.

To fuel its mission, Gig Workers Rising and the Mobile Workers Alliance published an announcement in the SF Chronicle tomorrow, which contains an open letter to Uber CEO Dara Khosrowshahi and co-founders Lyft, Logan Green, and John Zimmer. In this paper, the groups congratulated Lyft and Uber for declaring they wanted to do better with their drivers.

"But the most important step towards this goal has not been reached yet: drivers need a seat at the table as equal partners to chart our path in the letter, Linda Valdivia from Mobile Workers Alliance and Rebecca Stack-Martinez from Gig Workers Rising. "That's why we organized, demonstrated, and argued to demand that you put your words into practice."

In short, drivers want to participate in AB-5 discussions and be heard in the decision-making process. In addition, the drivers want the California leaders to give them the opportunity to organize and negotiate through a union led by drivers, says the letter.

"It's time for the leaders of the Uber, Lyft and California states to meet with the pilots to chart the way forward," the organizers wrote. "It's time for Uber and Lyft to do what we have to do. That means we give all drivers the living wage and basic workplace protections we deserve. It also means the end of the costs and risks inherent in your activities. "

As stated in the Uber and Lyft opinion letter, neither company wants its drivers to be employees. It would be a very expensive undertaking that would undoubtedly affect their results.

"Lyft advocates for an approach consistent with the interests of our driver community, modernizing secular labor laws that make flexibility and benefits difficult," a spokesman for Lyft said in a statement. "That's why we're working with legislators and union leaders on a different solution so that drivers can continue to control when, where and how long they drive. It is encouraging that more groups are joining the conversation to maintain driver flexibility while offering new benefits and protections. "

Behind the scenes, Uber and Lyft reportedly paid drivers to protest the legislation that would make employees, according to the Los Angeles Times.

"We will continue to work collaboratively with our diverse community of drivers – and lawmakers who represent them – to improve the quality and safety of self-employment," said an Uber spokesperson in a statement.

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