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Uber CEO says its service will probably shut down temporarily in California

cnbc.com

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Re: Uber CEO says its service will probably shut down temporarily in California

#71

Post by ghaff »

jacobn wrote: post #28

We’re legally unequipped to deal well with gig workers. They’re arguably neither contractors nor employees, and shoe horning them into either category will inevitably lead to some absurdities.

Any classification of people accepting money for work is pretty much a creature of tax and employment law and big buckets don't really handle cases at the edges very well. For example, freelance writers can write for whoever they want but they also tend to have clients who they do work for regularly--which has caused some to run afoul of the recent California rules. But that looks a lot different from a full-time Uber driver which, in turn, looks a lot different from someone who drives for Uber now and then to puick up some beer money.

Re: Uber CEO says its service will probably shut down temporarily in California

#73

Post by ericmay »

awinder wrote: post #46
ericmay wrote: post #17

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Well, I'm sure they have. They fundamentally disagree with the outcome, and so they will just not operate in California. Nobody will because the business model won't allow you to pay people enough money without charging too much. I also fundamentally agree with Uber and others here. They created a platform for someone to make a few bucks. If I sell something on Etsy they don't have to all of a sudden pay for my healt…

“Nobody will” is a bet, mostly on history of the last 30 years of winning these bets. If/when someone does do it, being a business that drew a line in the sand is going to make it difficult to adapt. Playing regulatory games is hard. People are voting & doing something with their democracy; that’s how this passed. And they’ll have another choice when they vote on the prop. You’re tired of people leaning a certain way…

Let's say we leave aside low voting turnout, lack of education about issues, etc. I don't have a problem if people decide to vote Uber and eventually others out of California. Your state, your rules. I don't really use Uber (or Lyft) unless I am traveling so I really don't care what happens to them, and I definitely don't care about what happens to them in California. I just happen to disagree with California, and I think if this goes through it's going to be a losing proposition and once the reality of this sets in (i.e. people won't have access to ride share) it'll cause an actual public opinion upheaval. It's easy to complain about it and be edgy and "support workers rights" - just wait until you reap what you sow.

I'm not sure how my comment on this thread is any more of a cheap shot than any other comment, or how it's more of a cheap shot than telling someone you disagree with to "get a cup of coffee". I thought what I wrote was at least a coherent opinion on the matter. I'm sorry that it made you angry and that you took a negative interpretation of what I wrote. Not my intention.

Re: Uber CEO says its service will probably shut down temporarily in California

#74

Post by throw_awy_1 »

itake wrote: post #47
asa4akj wrote: post #35

Earlier quoted context omitted.

comparing uber and etsy is dishonest at best. The only freedom an uber contractor has is "when to work". All the pricing and trips are decided by uber, and they can't even reject properly. They are in fact an employees in everything but legal status. In etsy, you choose your prices, what you sell, and even to whom you sell to, it's definitely a market place.

If this truly is an invalid business model (riders can't/refuse to pay driver's full salary + benefits), then a lot of people willing to work at these lower rates will be losing their jobs / extra income.

Just like minimum wage.

Re: Uber CEO says its service will probably shut down temporarily in California

#75

Post by ekianjo »

> Uber has argued its drivers prefer working as independent contractors, though California AG Xavier Becerra rejected that claim as a "bogus argument."

The link on the "California AG Xavier Becerra" is a google search link instead of CNBC's actual article. A mistake?

Re: Uber CEO says its service will probably shut down temporarily in California

#76

Post by [deleted] »

deminature wrote: post #57
asa4akj wrote: post #35

Earlier quoted context omitted.

comparing uber and etsy is dishonest at best. The only freedom an uber contractor has is "when to work". All the pricing and trips are decided by uber, and they can't even reject properly. They are in fact an employees in everything but legal status. In etsy, you choose your prices, what you sell, and even to whom you sell to, it's definitely a market place.

Drivers have been able to set their own prices in California for some time now https://www.uber.com/blog/california/set-your-fares/

[deleted]

Re: Uber CEO says its service will probably shut down temporarily in California

#77

Post by maxk42 »

drtillberg wrote: post #20

Golden opportunity for the taxicab industry to get its act together and compete on a semi-level playing field.

The taxicab industry had every moment of the last decade to get its act together. If it hasn't happened already it's not likely to happen.

Re: Uber CEO says its service will probably shut down temporarily in California

#78

Post by mayneack »

temp667 wrote: post #24
drtillberg wrote: post #20

Golden opportunity for the taxicab industry to get its act together and compete on a semi-level playing field.

The corruption here is incredible - the taxi cab industry had insurance of like $20K per accident (talk to the women who got brain damage), would never pickup in bad areas AND paid their workers as.... independent contractors!! You think your taxi driver is a W2 employee - please think again. The number of carve outs in this new "principled" rule is incredible, and more industries keep asking for them (freelance writ…

What are the taxis doing with AB 5 then?

Re: Uber CEO says its service will probably shut down temporarily in California

#79

Post by GaryNumanVevo »

merpnderp wrote: post #9

Want to be free to have a random part-time gig you can pick up whenever you want? Nope, do-gooders are going to do-good you into a wage slave job like everyone else.

Categorically false, the law isn’t being changed. A judge ruled that Uber was violating labor laws which specifically protect both contractors and full time employees.

Re: Uber CEO says its service will probably shut down temporarily in California

#80

Post by jeffbee »

mayneack wrote: post #58
ghaff wrote: post #43

Maybe I'm cynical but "temporarily shut down" sounds like a formula to: - Inconvenience a certain class of urbanites who have grown accustomed to being driven around in the hopes that they - Complain loudly to their representatives and other governmental officials in the hope that - The state will reverse this judgement

That's surely what they're doing. Of course, they probably chose a bad time for this. If those customers are social distancing, probably fewer of them will be inconvenienced than before. I share one car with two people, so used uber a lot pre-pandemic, but haven't needed one at all since March.

Uber is already effectively shut down in the East Bay. I idly wondered the other day and it was going to be 20 minutes before a car got to my origin in Berkeley.
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