Uber challenges Seattles driver-unionization rules

[brooklynite]

Source: Seattle Times

The ride-hailing service Uber on Tuesday filed a legal challenge over the Seattle ordinance giving drivers the power to unionize.

The City Council adopted the ordinance in 2015. The first of its kind in the country, it gives independent-contractor drivers for Uber and other app-based ride-dispatch companies the right to collective bargaining with the companies.

The ordinance also covers drivers for taxi companies and for-hire vehicle companies.

It went into effect last January with a waiting period before allowing unionization efforts, during which city officials worked on detailed rules.

Read more: http://www.seattletimes.com/seattle-news/politics/uber-sues-over-seattles-driver-unionization-rules/

[FrodosNewPet]

1. In their effort to kill the taxi and public transit industries,

Uber ended up killing themselves as well.

SO many drivers end up quitting in frustration, or doing worse things, because it is only financially worthwhile for a small percentage of drivers. Driving random people from one random spot to another is a lot harder than most people imagine. So Uber and Lyft add to the stress by cutting fares and pushing UberPool, so the drivers have to worry about being making even less money on each pickup and dropoff.

No phone contact, even in an emergency. Canned customer service replies that often have nothing to do with the question asked. Every post on Uber's Facebook page gets filled with complaints about long routes and no shows and drivers cancelling because they don't like the destination or the race or religion of the passengers.

The core concept is so cool, the taxi industry had a LOT of dirt and needed to be shaken up. But now Uber is just a giant, worldwide taxi company using unmarked cars.

[brooklynite]

4. They're not "killing" public transit...

...if fact they're working with public transit agencies to provide last mile service to ares not covered by the existing transit network. They're also much more cost-effective as paratransit providers.

[Initech]

2. Uber is a company that relies on people to have disposable income.

And when the people don't have that, they stop buying their products. What's going to happen when nobody has any money to buy their crap? Doesn't exactly take a Harvard economist to figure that out!

[Skittles]

3. fuck Uber