NewsWatch
Keeping a critical eye on Uber,
Lyft, Sidecar, et al
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Welcome to the latest edition of AFT NewsWatch, a weekly service of Advocates for Fairness in Transportation, an ad hoc group of regulated transportation service companies dedicated to informing and educating the public on threats to public safety from new so-called ride-sharing or ride-booking services such as Uber, Lyft and Sidecar. Visit the Archive to read previous editions.
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| | ABC10 News: Woman Says Uber Driver Offered More Than Ride |
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I-Team: Lyft driver removed after taking NYC fashion student on terrifying ride
Fashion school student Alyssa Pfaus relies on cabs and car services to safely get around New York City but after what she described as a terrifying Lyft ride, the 19-year-old is reconsidering her choice of transportation. A recent Lyft ride from Union Square to the Upper East Side terrified the young student; she says the driver started getting personal, then took her on the wrong route when she didn't respond to him.
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Uber drivers are running on empty
Twenty-six-year-old Takele Gobena is part of the "on-demand" economy, working full-time as a driver for Uber and part time for Lyft. The Ethiopian immigrant quit his job at the Seattle-Tacoma International Airport and purchased a new car to drive for the ride-hailing firms, believing it would make him a better provider for his one-year-old daughter. Instead, Gobena now finds himself in debt and, after expenses, making well below minimum wage. But because Uber and Lyft drivers are classified as independent contractors, Gobena is not protected by minimum wage laws.
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Chicago's differing regulations of Uber vs taxis may violate equal protection, judge says
Cab drivers in the city of Chicago have long claimed City Hall's treatment of ride-sharing services like Uber and Lyft, compared to how it treats the city's taxi drivers, is unfair. Now, Chicago's cabbies will have the chance to press that claim in court, after a federal judge said a lawsuit brought by taxi drivers asserting the city has more harshly regulated taxi drivers, while letting ride-sharing service providers off easy, potentially violating constitutional guarantees of equal protection under the law, may have some gas left in the tank.
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Uber rescinds requirement that spurred Dallas drivers to strike
Uber rescinded a new requirement that spurred hundreds of drivers to strike over four days. A company spokeswoman said that owners of high-end vehicles will be able to opt out of a new directive that would have forced them to accept cheaper fares priced to match passengers with Uber drivers with more common cars. Drivers had said that they would remain on strike until such a deal was reached, but the head of a drivers organization could not be reached for comment late Monday.
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Uber loses bid to force arbitration on California driver
A former Uber Technologies Inc. driver defeated the company's bid to force her into arbitration, a second victory after California's labor commissioner said she should have been considered an employee. A San Francisco state judge sided with the driver, finding the app-based ride service's arbitration clause is unenforceable. The decision echoed a federal judge's ruling preserving a class action lawsuit on behalf of thousands of Uber drivers.
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Two drivers seek repeal of Uber arbitration policy
Two drivers for Uber Technologies Inc. filed charges with the National Labor Relations Board, arguing that the on-demand transportation company's arbitration policy violates the National Labor Relations Act. Shannon Liss-Riordan, the lawyer representing the two drivers, is also the lead attorney in a California suit alleging that Uber drivers should be classified as employees, not independent contractors.
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Pa. suit accuses Uber of misclassifying drivers
Uber Technologies Inc. was slapped with a proposed class action in Pennsylvania state court on Tuesday, alleging that drivers for the ride-hailing company had been cheated out of minimum wages, tips and other compensation as a result of being misclassified as independent contractors. A suit against Uber says that its misclassification of drivers led to losing out on minimum wages, itemized wage statements and meal and rest breaks.
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Massport accuses Uber of 'patently false' Logan Airport charge
Uber is being accused of slapping riders with a Boston airport charge that is "patently false," according to a letter from Massport - the latest state agency to get in a spat with the ride-sharing giant. "Massport requests an immediate explanation from Uber of the charges on its customers' receipts," a letter sent on Sept. 2 from Massport Acting Chief Legal Counsel Catherine McDonald to Uber CEO Travis Kalanick.
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Steve Lopez: Some tips for Uber drivers (but not the cash kind)
No job is worth having if it doesn't offer ample opportunity to confab with colleagues and grouse about the management. In that regard, I think I'm going to be fine if I keep driving for Uber. Drivers have been weighing in since my Sunday column, in which I reported on my brief (so far) experiment working for Uber. I noted that all my passengers were thrilled with the ride service, but the take-home pay and working conditions for drivers are less inclined to produce smiles.
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Uber's nightmare scenario: How everything could go wrong for the world's hottest new company
In July, Uber closed a $1 billion round of funding from Microsoft and Indian media company Bennett Coleman & Co.'s investment subsidiary. The new funding valued the company at $50 billion, making Uber the most valuable private tech company in the world. But Uber isn't infallible. The company has competitors, it's working through regulatory battles, and it relies on independent contractors. So we decided to look at some of the nightmare scenarios Uber could potentially find itself facing in the future.
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New York Attorney General says he'll protect workers from Uber and Airbnb
New York State's top lawyer told technology firm executives he will "bring the full force" of his office against companies that mistreat their workers or cheat consumers. Speaking to an entrepreneurs and executives gathering in Manhattan, Attorney General Eric Schneiderman said innovation can have "unintended side effects" harmful to workers or customers. He urged tech firms to act responsibly "as new business models evolve." His remarks came as so-called sharing-economy businesses including Uber Technologies Inc., Lyft Inc. and Airbnb Inc. face lawsuits or state probes over worker rights or compliance with local laws.
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| | Four things about Uber you wish you never knew |
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