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By Chauncey K. Robinson
LOS ANGELES—As COVID-19 continues to claim more lives in the United States, app-based rideshare and delivery drivers organizing with Mobile Workers Alliance (MWA) are sounding the alarm on how gig companies are doing next to nothing to protect their workers and the public that uses their services.
It appears that rideshare giants Uber and Lyft have continued to resist compliance with Mayor Eric Garcetti’s Worker Protection Order. This order directs employers to provide cloth face coverings, sanitizing agents, and access to sanitary restrooms for workers deemed essential during the COVID-19 pandemic. Drivers are calling on City Attorney Mike Feuer and the Los Angeles mayor to hold gig companies accountable and protect public health.
As the coronavirus has swept across the nation, service industry workers have been on the front lines providing essential services such as grocery and food distribution. Drivers working for app-based companies like Uber, Lyft, DoorDash, Postmates, and GrubHub have helped in transportation and food delivery, which has become crucial for a society where public transportation remains disrupted and going to public spaces is discouraged in order to flatten the coronavirus spread.
Drivers now find themselves between a rock and hard place—forced to choose between earning a living and trying to stay healthy. According to MWA, Uber sent a message to drivers following Garcetti’s order, stating that while they may request a cloth mask through the app, the company “cannot guarantee masks for every driver....
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