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Contractors or Not, Seattle Uber Drivers Might Get Collective Bargaining
The Seattle Times reports on a development in Seattle that might have implications for other cities with contentious relationships with transportation coordinating services like Uber. Seattle councilman Mike O'Brien has proposed a system under which drivers for Lyft, Uber, and similar companies would be represented in collective bargaining agreements with the companies they do work for.
The proposal would require taxi companies, for-hire vehicle companies and app-based ride-dispatch companies, including Uber and Lyft, to negotiate agreements with drivers on issues such as payment and working conditions.
The approach would be novel because of the drivers’ employment status. The National Labor Relations Act gives employees, but not independent contractors, the right to bargain as a union. ... Under O’Brien’s plan, a nonprofit organization would need to show support from a majority of a company’s drivers to be designated by the city as their bargaining representative. The organization would use a list of drivers provided by the company.
It's not the drivers who are calling for Guido to take a cut of their earnings to buy hookers and blow for mobsters and politicians.
-jcr
The only title of honor that a tyrant can grant is "Enemy of the State."
The IRS defines who is and is not a contractor. These drivers simply are not independent contractors. First they would need a business permit in order to be contractors. They can not be supervised by Uber in any way, And they would need a written contract that offers them benefits roughly equal to any benefits Uber gets by offering the contract. So many businesses steal money by falsely calling people independents or piece workers and it is fraud both to the workers as well as numerous public agencies. For example, a Uber driver, injured in a wreck can not get Workman's comp. And Workman's compensation suffers an economic loss when employees are falsely called independent contractors.
except for the increased wages by bringing strike pressure to bear.
Totally vaporized and then some by the overhead of the union.
Unions get enough extra to thrive themselves, over time the union leaders care nothing for the workers but only for personal income to grow the union - to the extent they do not care if they kill the host they are attached to, putting many out of work.
At least that's how it has played out so far over the last few decades. Why is there any reason to think it will alter for Uber? There is none.
"There is more worth loving than we have strength to love." - Brian Jay Stanley
>> We busted up the mob years ago. They've got nothing to do with Unions now.
You must not live near Chicago, Los Angeles, New York, Philly, etc. or take a close look at who's involved in the pension plans then.
e.g., http://deadline.com/2015/09/mo...