Uber, Lyft to Pay $328M to Settle NY Case They Underpaid Drivers

NY drivers underpaid by Uber, Lyft

The NY state attorney general’s office has secured two “landmark settlements” totaling $328 million to resolve a multiyear investigation into rideshare companies Uber and Lyft that found they had cheated thousands of drivers out of hundreds of millions of dollars.

Self-Driving Cars: The Road to Nowhere?

driverless car

Self-driving cars were meant to be the future. However, prominent critics, including industry pioneer Anthony Levandowski, are becoming more vocal as the losses mount. Jennifer King was awakened at 2 a.m. by a loud, high-pitched hum from the first car. “It sounded like a hovercraft,” she says, but that’s not the strange part. King lives… Continue reading Self-Driving Cars: The Road to Nowhere?

Judge: California Ride-Hailing Law Is Unconstitutional

Uber, Lyft agree to wage boost

A judge Friday struck down a California ballot measure that exempted Uber and other app-based ride-hailing and delivery services from a state law requiring drivers to be classified as employees eligible for benefits and job protections. Alameda County Superior Court Judge Frank Roesch ruled that Proposition 22 was unconstitutional. Voters approved the measure in November… Continue reading Judge: California Ride-Hailing Law Is Unconstitutional

Biden Administration Blocks Trump-Era Rule Affecting Gig Workers

Uber, Lyft agree to wage boost

The Biden administration on Wednesday blocked a Trump-era rule that would have made it easier to classify gig workers who work for companies like Uber and Lyft as independent contractors instead of employees, signaling a potential policy shift toward greater worker protections. Shares of companies that employ gig labor such as Uber, Lyft and DoorDash… Continue reading Biden Administration Blocks Trump-Era Rule Affecting Gig Workers

Uber, Lyft Have a California Playbook to Fight Poposed U.S. Rules on Workers

Uber, Lyft agree to wage boost

Uber, Lyft and other gig-economy companies face a new challenge from the Biden administration to their use of contract workers, but as they gear up for a fight in Washington they could turn to a lobbying playbook that helped them score a decisive win against California regulators last year. U.S. President Joe Biden campaigned on… Continue reading Uber, Lyft Have a California Playbook to Fight Poposed U.S. Rules on Workers

Gig Companies Oppose U.S. Push for Worker Employee Status, Suggest Compromise

Uber, Lyft agree to wage boost

Under growing threat by a new U.S. administration insistent on reclassifying ride-hail and food delivery workers as employees with full benefits, gig economy companies including Uber, Lyft, Doordash and Instacart are pushing to keep drivers’ independent contractor status, albeit with additional benefits. The companies, whose business model relies on low-cost flexible labor, argue that surveys… Continue reading Gig Companies Oppose U.S. Push for Worker Employee Status, Suggest Compromise

Uber Loses U.K. Court Battle Over Worker Rights

Uber, Lyft agree to wage boost

The U.K.’s top court ruled that a group of former drivers for Uber Technologies Inc. were entitled to a minimum wage and other benefits while working for the company, dealing a setback to Uber and other gig-economy firms in world-wide battles over their employment model. The U.K.’s Supreme Court, in a unanimous decision issued Friday,… Continue reading Uber Loses U.K. Court Battle Over Worker Rights

California Voters Exempt Uber, Lyft, DoorDash from Reclassifying Drivers

Uber, Lyft agree to wage boost

Uber Technologies Inc., Lyft Inc. and DoorDash Inc. won a pivotal vote in California that exempts them from reclassifying their drivers as employees, according to the Associated Press. The companies, along with Postmates Inc. and Instacart Inc., collectively contributed around $200 million to support Proposition 22, a measure that allows them to bypass a state… Continue reading California Voters Exempt Uber, Lyft, DoorDash from Reclassifying Drivers

Uber Weighs California Overhaul if Ballot Measure on Workers Fails

Uber, Lyft agree to wage boost

Uber Technologies Inc. is considering an overhaul of its business in California if voters reject a ballot measure that would prevent the ride-hailing company’s drivers from being classified as employees. “We are looking at all our options,” Uber Chief Executive Dara Khosrowshahi said, without elaborating, during The Wall Street Journal’s annual Tech Live conference, held… Continue reading Uber Weighs California Overhaul if Ballot Measure on Workers Fails