This week, a California judge ruled that Uber and Lyft must stop classifying their drivers as independent contractors...
Friend,
This week, a California judge ruled that Uber and Lyft must stop classifying their drivers as independent contractors—and start classifying them as employees. And just yesterday, the judge blocked the ride share companies from having more time to appeal the decision.
This is a huge blow to the gig economy workforce and those who value the freedom and flexibility that comes with independent contracting work.
When over 3 million Californians are without a job, our elected leaders should be focused on creating work, not trying to shut down an entire industry during an economic depression.
We couldn’t agree more.
Not all workers want to work 9-5. Not all workers want to work for just one employer. Not all workers want their jobs to be determined by and dependent upon someone or something else. They want to be their own boss.
As the CEO of Uber, Dara Khosrowshahi, recently wrote in the New York Times:
“Our current employment system is outdated and unfair. It forces every worker to choose between being an employee with more benefits but less flexibility, or an independent contractor with more flexibility but almost no safety net.… America needs to change the status quo to protect all workers, not just one type of work.”
This California case involved tech giants with bottomless wallets… and they still lost. How will the average independent worker fare, when they don’t have anyone fighting for them? Not to mention that the outcome of this Uber/Lyft battle with the California kangaroo court will likely have an impact on many Americans who rely on these services to get around.
It will take all of us speaking up to stop these job-killing regulations, like AB5 in California and the Democratic House-passed/Biden-backed PRO Act, before they hurt more individuals and businesses.
