sharingeconomy
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Uber and Lyft are losing their fight against unionization
A federal judge has dealt a blow to ride-hailing companies such as Uber and Lyft, after dismissing an appeal to block legislation that would allow their drivers to unionize. US District Court Judge Robert Lasnik rejected the lawsuit filed by the US Chamber of Commerce on behalf of its members (including Uber and Lyft), which argued that drivers are contractors, not employees, and therefore federal and state laws do not give them the right to unionize. This is good news for advocates of Seattle's Uber unionization law, which was passed by City Council in 2015 and gave rideshare drivers collective bargaining rights. But they're not out of the woods yet. In April Lasnik temporarily blocked this law from going into effect while he considered its various legal challenges, and it remains blocked despite the rejection of the Chamber's lawsuit.
People won't stop stealing this company's rentable umbrellas
Sharing E Umbrella, a Chinese startup that allows people to share umbrellas as they would bicycles has run into some early problems with its business model: specifically, people don't bother to return the items once they are out of the rain. According to a report in the Thepaper.cn last Thursday, the company announced that most of its umbrellas had gone missing within just weeks of the sharing scheme's launch.
Airbnb rentals are now legal in Japan
After some legal tussling between home owners, building owners, Japanese government and, well, Airbnb the country has decided to legalise sharing economy home rentals. The law was passed earlier today, allowing home-owners to let properties to guests for up to 180 days a year. Owners do, however, have to register with local authorities in the country. These authorities will also be able to add their own restrictions and rules to those that choose to rent their property.
A new, compromise-friendly Airbnb makes nice with New Orleans
We knew Airbnb was working with more accommodating policies as it tries to improve relationships with the cities that don't love it, but it turns out the company really is willing to make some tough concessions. Case in point: New Orleans. Recently, the city and the company brokered a deal in which Airbnb would provide the municipal government with the names and addresses of hosts, as well as agreeing that hosts would have to register with the city and obtain permits.
Cities are collaborating on rules for Uber and Airbnb
The sharing economy,and the companies that embody it, have often waded into a fight wherever they set up shop. That's because local governments aren't nimble enough to cope with such radically new ideas, and the companies themselves often struggle with compromise. In order to smooth things over, a coalition of 10 cities across the globe are collaborating on a framework that'll provide these companies with ground rules to abide by. Bloomberg quotes New York official Wiley Norvell, who says that providing common rules will help both protect users and ensure that political voices are heard by famously regulation-averse startups.
Arizona governor sticks up for Airbnb in new law
Arizona Governor Doug Ducey signed SB 1350 today, which will prevent cities in the state from banning short-term rental services like Airbnb or HoweAway. According to an earlier report from Forbes, Governor Ducey's end goal is to turn Arizona into The Sharing Economy State, which is a little different from the state's current motto of "God enriches."
Seattle votes to let Lyft and Uber drivers unionize
The Seattle City Council's voted unanimously (9 - 0) that drivers for Lyft and Uber can form unions. The decision is much more complex than the drivers simply being able to organize and collectively bargain for better wages or benefits, though. The ruling is actually illegal, but it's up to a federal court to rule against it for the law to be reversed. The Seattle Times editorial board writes that the decision breaking national anti-trust laws was something that city officials knew about when voting during tonight's lame duck session, while The New York Times acknowledges that the decision is something that's likely to be challenged in court.
Toyota tests ride-sharing with its adorable electric vehicles
"The sharing economy" is a buzzword that's thrown around to talk about services like AirBnB and Lyft, and now it looks as if Toyota wants in on the trend. The automaker is putting 70 electric cars into commission in France, half of them being i-Road EVs, as spotted by Gizmodo. Instead of competing with the existing public transit system that's in place, however, Toyota says this will work alongside the city of Grenoble's infrastructure making the likes of one-way trips, among other things, easier. So long as there's a drop-off station near your destination, there's no need to worry about parking or a return trip, either, apparently. Reserving a ride can be handled with a smartphone app and rental fees start at €3 (about $4) -- cheaper than minimum fare on Uber. In the land of baguette and interested? Service starts in October.
