Should I be happy that I've never used one of these VC-driven delivery services?
I'm certainly not tempted to do so now.
Instacart’s gig workers are planning a nationwide strike
91–100 of 159 posts
Re: Instacart’s gig workers are planning a nationwide strike
#92Earlier quoted context omitted.
> Since when do the unit metrics on this business add up? Never. Without VC money or gig workers who do not understand the costs of depreciation this model does not work for something as low margin as groceries. At 10% margin, which is insane for groceries, you’d need a $100+ order to breaking even the cost of delivery. Forget actually making a profit. And real margins are closer to 2-3%.
Over $100 is insane for groceries? We regularly spend that much for a family of three almost every weekend. Admittedly, we are in a high CoL area.
I rarely spend $100 in one go at the grocery store. During normal times I visit the grocery store about 4-7 times per week and only buy whatever I feel like having for the next day or two. There have been many times that I had everything else I needed and walked out with a single potato.
It helps that I live 2 blocks from the grocery store, but I very much prioritize grocery store distance when choosing apartments.
Of course, during these epidemic times I've flipped my habits around and buying 1-2 weeks worth at a time to minimize exposure, but that's not my normal way of buying groceries. I'm not usually good at predicting what my stomach feels like having 2 days later.
Re: Instacart’s gig workers are planning a nationwide strike
#93Imagine the capitalistic (!) opportunities that would exist if we had universal healthcare and basic safety-nets. "Gig economy" jobs could actually function as a reasonable and real system for working, instead of being something dystopian and abusive. As a society we've hung so many things off of this framework of "being an employee" (healthcare, retirement, the ability to not work for a small part of the year), that there's no room for any other paradigm without having people forego fundamental needs. Unfortunately times are dire enough that people do so anyway, but that's a separate question.
Re: Instacart’s gig workers are planning a nationwide strike
#94Earlier quoted context omitted.
I went to Stanford last weekend with a slight fever and sore throat and was tested and had results in about 16 hours. You could go right now and get tested there if you have symptoms. It’s an anecdote, sure, but the idea that people can’t get tested isn’t completely true.
I'm in Boston, and AFAIK there's nowhere I can get a test without having severe symptoms that require hospitalization.
Work for a hospital system in Boston and can confirm - testing guidelines here remain quite strict.
Re: Instacart’s gig workers are planning a nationwide strike
#95I think it's awful what is happening to Instacart and many other workers.
I hope that eventually there will be successful push back. That may be part of what Bernie Sanders' movement is about.
But I think that within a decade or so the reality is that we will have more advanced robots (combined with warehouses designed for automation) that can do most of these jobs, including driving and delivery. Not saying it isn't incredibly challenging or that we are anywhere close, but there is progress and also massive, massive financial incentive.
At some point UBI will be the obvious option to everyone. It seems obvious to me that income should not start at absolute zero even now.
Re: Instacart’s gig workers are planning a nationwide strike
#96Earlier quoted context omitted.
Nobody can ensure dignity for someone else. You either conduct yourself with dignity or you don't.
Amazing insight. I hope we invent time travel so you can tell that to the slaves of various civilizations throughout history.
Who do you have in charge of your dignity?
Re: Instacart’s gig workers are planning a nationwide strike
#97Earlier quoted context omitted.
Great. Lets ban gig work and make sure that instead of a crappy income they have no income!
It always amazes me how the discussion can go so quickly go from "The mighty market solves all problems!" to, "The market is an incredibly fragile flower, and the slightest worker protections will result in mass unemployment and starvation!" Before Instacart, people went to the grocery store just fine. If Instacart has to pay workers a living wage, some people at the margins might return to shopping themselves, but I…
Before Instacart, these gig employees had even worse jobs or else they wouldn’t be working for instacart.
Re: Instacart’s gig workers are planning a nationwide strike
#98Earlier quoted context omitted.
Your implication being that the average American who is negatively affected by a public employee union strike takes the side of the government and blames workers for inconveniencing them?
It's far more petty than that. No one actually has to be inconvenienced. The average American is just plain resentful of unionized public employees.
Maybe it's because police unions form a sizable chunk of those unions...
Re: Instacart’s gig workers are planning a nationwide strike
#99Earlier quoted context omitted.
Amazing insight. I hope we invent time travel so you can tell that to the slaves of various civilizations throughout history.
Who do you have in charge of your dignity?
You're not flat out wrong, but it takes a great spirit to rise above it all in that fashion.
This is probably a pointless pissing contest, not an argument you can win.
Re: Instacart’s gig workers are planning a nationwide strike
#100Earlier quoted context omitted.
Your implication being that the average American who is negatively affected by a public employee union strike takes the side of the government and blames workers for inconveniencing them?
It's far more petty than that. No one actually has to be inconvenienced. The average American is just plain resentful of unionized public employees.
Jealous because they get benefits private companies don't offer anyone below a certain level. This is accepted because top level pay is so mucher higher.
Unionized employees realized it is better we get more now and take less if/when we make it to the top(which won't happen anyways).