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I’m a software engineer at Uber and I’m voting against Prop 22

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Re: I’m a software engineer at Uber and I’m voting against Prop 22

#3
post #2

what are the chances that this person isn't fired?

Perhaps he'll be too in the spotlight for actually speaking out against his employer's poor labor practices that that is protecting him? Or he just knew he was quitting anyways or already had something lined up.

Re: I’m a software engineer at Uber and I’m voting against Prop 22

#4
post #2

what are the chances that this person isn't fired?

Perhaps he'll be too in the spotlight for actually speaking out against his employer's poor labor practices that that is protecting him? Or he just knew he was quitting anyways or already had something lined up.

presumably he'll be put on a PIP and fired for "unrelated reasons" several months after the hubbub dies down.

Re: I’m a software engineer at Uber and I’m voting against Prop 22

#6
I'd love to see Uber or a competitor embrace the "independent contractors" idea and let drivers and riders bid for service.

I think it's possible to implement this in a user friendly fashion. Enter your destination and your max spend, maybe minimum driver rating, drivers bid for the fare. Let "surge pricing" and basic fares actually be determined by market forces rather than Ubers algorithm.

Re: I’m a software engineer at Uber and I’m voting against Prop 22

#7
post #6

I'd love to see Uber or a competitor embrace the "independent contractors" idea and let drivers and riders bid for service. I think it's possible to implement this in a user friendly fashion. Enter your destination and your max spend, maybe minimum driver rating, drivers bid for the fare. Let "surge pricing" and basic fares actually be determined by market forces rather than Ubers algorithm.

I don't think this works for two reasons. First you're incentivizing the wrong behavior, which would be to complete the ride as fast as possible rather than completing it safely. The second is that it breaks down in small economies where people can easily price fix.

Re: I’m a software engineer at Uber and I’m voting against Prop 22

#8
post #7
post #6

I'd love to see Uber or a competitor embrace the "independent contractors" idea and let drivers and riders bid for service. I think it's possible to implement this in a user friendly fashion. Enter your destination and your max spend, maybe minimum driver rating, drivers bid for the fare. Let "surge pricing" and basic fares actually be determined by market forces rather than Ubers algorithm.

I don't think this works for two reasons. First you're incentivizing the wrong behavior, which would be to complete the ride as fast as possible rather than completing it safely. The second is that it breaks down in small economies where people can easily price fix.

Aren't Uber/Lyft/food delivery gig-economy folks already encouraged to complete the ride (or delivery) as fast as possible?

Re: I’m a software engineer at Uber and I’m voting against Prop 22

#9
post #6

I'd love to see Uber or a competitor embrace the "independent contractors" idea and let drivers and riders bid for service. I think it's possible to implement this in a user friendly fashion. Enter your destination and your max spend, maybe minimum driver rating, drivers bid for the fare. Let "surge pricing" and basic fares actually be determined by market forces rather than Ubers algorithm.

How does bidding matter at all as far as the employee/employer relationship in this context? It'd make more sense to argue that reinvesting in things like self-driving cars is what breaks the dynamic because the "platform" is withholding revenue from drivers to expand in a way completely unrelated to their work.
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