Lyft

UBER’S NEW GIG WORKER BILL IS THE SAME OLD TRICK: DEREGULATION AND SPECIAL TREATMENT FOR EXPLOITIVE COMPANIES

In New York State, legislators are reportedly considering a bill, brokered by gig companies including Uber and Lyft, that would remove app-based drivers and food delivery workers from virtually all labor and discrimination protections. Though its supporters are selling this “Right to Bargain Act” as a novel form of bargaining in the app-based economy, there’s nothing …

UBER’S NEW GIG WORKER BILL IS THE SAME OLD TRICK: DEREGULATION AND SPECIAL TREATMENT FOR EXPLOITIVE COMPANIES Read More »

New York City Drivers Cooperative Aims to Smash Uber’s Exploitative Model

Ken Lewis grew up on the island of Grena­da, and wit­nessed the pro­gres­sive after­math of its 1979 rev­o­lu­tion. ?“I remem­ber the pow­er of coop­er­a­tives, peo­ple get­ting land, turn­ing places that were bar­ren into pro­duc­tive places,” he says. That image stayed with him after he moved to New York City for grad school and start­ed dri­ving a taxi on the …

New York City Drivers Cooperative Aims to Smash Uber’s Exploitative Model Read More »

Why companies based on gig work are hurting more than their employees

Imagine that one of two people will be responsible for your safety. The first receives health and dental benefits, earns more than minimum wage, has clear advancement options within their company, and may even belong to a union. The second has no insurance benefits, works wildly erratic hours, feels no allegiance to their company, and makes …

Why companies based on gig work are hurting more than their employees Read More »

Prop 22 is Bad for Black Workers

When the pandemic forced Cherri Murphy to stop driving for Lyft, she applied for unemployment benefits like millions of other workers. But because Lyft has refused to pay into California’s unemployment insurance fund, insisting that its workers are independent contractors rather than employees, Cherri received zero dollars in unemployment benefits. By day, Ms. Murphy is …

Prop 22 is Bad for Black Workers Read More »

Return of the Lockout: Uber and Lyft Try to Strong-Arm California

In August a California court ordered Uber and Lyft to reclassify more than 100,000 drivers as regular employees. The two companies, which depend on a business model that defines drivers as independent contractors, got the decision lifted for at least a few months. But in the meantime their threat to shut down operations in California—and …

Return of the Lockout: Uber and Lyft Try to Strong-Arm California Read More »

Hey, Uber and Lyft: Gig Work Is Work. California Just Said So.

The rideshare industry seems to have been on an unstoppable tear, running roughshod over regulations, filling the streets with cars, and making astronomical sums of Wall Street capital. But California just tripped up Uber and Lyft’s business model with pioneering legislation to rein in the freewheeling “gig economy.” The law, Assembly Bill 5 (AB5), passed overwhelmingly in …

Hey, Uber and Lyft: Gig Work Is Work. California Just Said So. Read More »

Federal court deals a blow to Uber, Lyft drivers trying to unionize in Seattle

A two-year legal battle over a Seattle, Washington law allowing Uber and Lyft drivers to unionize was prolonged again this week, after a federal appeals court ruled Friday that it can be challenged under federal antitrust law. The first-in-the-nation law was unanimously passed by the Seattle City Council in 2015 and sought to give ride-share …

Federal court deals a blow to Uber, Lyft drivers trying to unionize in Seattle Read More »

California court decision poses a major threat to Uber and Lyft: minimum wage laws

The business model at Uber and other “gig economy” companies could take a big hit in California, thanks to a new state Supreme Court ruling—the companies might be forced to follow labor laws like paying the minimum wage. Currently, many companies classify their workers as independent contractors who aren’t eligible for a raft of legal protections, protections …

California court decision poses a major threat to Uber and Lyft: minimum wage laws Read More »

Jimmy John’s Fired Workers for Making a ‘Disloyal’ Meme. A Court Just Ruled That’s Okay.

In a decision emblematic of the new climate of Trumpian governance, a federal appeals court in St. Louis ruled on July 3 that it is acceptable for the boss of a fast-food chain to fire workers for the sin of being “disloyal.” The U.S. Court of Appeals for the Eighth Circuit reversed a ruling issued by the …

Jimmy John’s Fired Workers for Making a ‘Disloyal’ Meme. A Court Just Ruled That’s Okay. Read More »

Lyft releases its first-ever diversity report

Lyft has produced its first-ever diversity report, months after its chief competitor Uber released its own data about the make-up of its staff. While its numbers ring similar to other tech companies—which are predominantly white and male?—?Lyft does have more female employees than Uber. Overall, 42 percent of Lyft’s employees identify as women, compared to Uber’s …

Lyft releases its first-ever diversity report Read More »

Scroll to Top

Madeline Messa

Madeline Messa is a 3L at Syracuse University College of Law. She graduated from Penn State with a degree in journalism. With her legal research and writing for Workplace Fairness, she strives to equip people with the information they need to be their own best advocate.