gig workers
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European Commission agrees to new rules that will protect gig workers rights
Gig workers in the EU will soon get new benefits and protections, making it easier for them to receive employment status.
Labor Department proposal may lead to gig workers gaining employee status
It may become harder for companies like Uber and Lyft to classify drivers as contractors.
California judge finds Prop 22 gig worker measure unconstitutional
A California judge has ruled that Proposition 22 is unconstitutional.
US Labor Department rescinds Trump admin rule targeting gig workers
In what's sure to be great news for Uber drivers and on-demand delivery workers, the US Department of Labor announced that it's rescinding the Trump administration's "independent contractor rule."
Amazon drivers are hanging phones in trees to get more deliveries
Amazon’s contract delivery drivers are so desperate for work they’ve come up with a bizarre way to game the system.
Uber CEO says his company can't hire all of its drivers in California
"We can't go out and hire 50,000 people overnight," the executive said during an interview.
Lyft will temporarily shut down in California if forced to reclassify drivers
Lyft says it may temporarily suspend service in California if it is required to classify drivers as employees.
Uber warns of temporary California shut down if it has to reclassify drivers
Uber CEO says the company may suspend service in California if the court doesn't rule in its favor.
Instacart is hiring another 250,000 grocery shoppers
Instacart is hiring another 250,000 shoppers and says it's doing more to protect all of its workers.
Instacart workers go on strike after rejecting mild concessions
Instacart hasn't had success trying to avert a strike over a lack of COVID-19 protections. The Gig Workers Collective has declared that a shopper strike is "still on" after asserting that Instacart's concessions were inadequate. A change that sets the tip default to a customer's previous amount will likely offer "no meaningful benefit," the shoppers said, as that previous amount will frequently come from the pre-outbreak era. There's still no sick pay for workers who have to stay home due to health conditions that put them at high risk. The company also left hazard pay "completely unaddressed," according to the objectors -- an average pay per order of less than $10 still leaves shoppers "risking their lives for pocket change."
Instacart workers will strike over lack of COVID-19 protections
Fed up with the company's response to the coronavirus, Instacart workers announced today that they'll go on strike beginning Monday. They will not return to work until their demands are met, Instacart Shoppers and the Gig Workers Collective wrote in a blog post. Their dissent is not uncommon. It's reflective of growing dissatisfaction among employees, especially gig workers, who must continue working in public settings while corporate employees work from the safety of their homes.
Uber wants government to include drivers in coronavirus stimulus package
In a letter to President Donald Trump, Uber CEO Dara Khosrowshahi has called on US lawmakers to include the company's drivers and delivery workers in the coronavirus stimulus package the government is currently negotiating. In the same letter, he also called on both Democrats and Republicans to pass new legislation that would allow contractors to access more public benefits without classifying them as employees.
Uber offers 14 days of financial assistance to drivers with COVID-19
There have been a lot of questions about how so-called "gig" workers like Uber drivers will be affected by the coronavirus pandemic and what, if anything, companies will do to help. Today, Uber detailed its plan for compensating drivers if they are unable to work because of a COVID-19 diagnosis or a mandated quarantine. In either scenario, Uber will offer its drivers and delivery workers 14 days of financial assistance.
Activists form nonprofit to fight gig worker exploitation
Gig workers are often at odds with the companies through which they find work, whether it's over how well they're paid or how they're treated. A gig worker and activist duo are attempting to help improve working conditions for contractors across the board. Vanessa Bain and Sarah Clarke created the Gig Workers Collective, which has a pending application to become a 501(c)(3) tax-exempt nonprofit organization.
Uber makes changes in California to brace for new gig worker law
Late last month, Uber and Postmates sued California in an attempt to block AB5, the law that would reclassify many gig economy workers as employees. While that fight is not over, Uber is also preparing for the event that AB5 takes effect. The company sent an email to over 150,000 drivers and millions of passengers, letting them know of several changes the company is making in California.
