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Tag:gig

September 14, 2020
News & Commentary

Mackenzie Bouverat

The Department of Labor has issued a new rule reinterpreting the Families First Coronavirus Response Act, which Congress passed in March as part of its coronavirus stimulus measures. Their initial interpretation of the rule–which a Federal judge overruled due to its overbreadth–excluded all workers all types of employees at any health-care facility from the federal […]

November 10, 2019
News & Commentary

Deanna Krokos

The “shoppers” who complete Instacart grocery delivery orders went on strike this week, alleging significant problems with the app’s structure that are familiar throughout the gig economy. As independent contractors, the shoppers are subject to unpredictable pay and have no traditional workplace protections. Now, they say the app’s designers are making it actively harder for […]

Competitive Enterprise Institute Enters the Gig Flexibility Debate

May 18, 2018 Benjamin Sachs

The Competitive Enterprise Institute has weighed in on our debate over flexibility in the gig economy with a new piece by Trey Kovacs. Their bottom line: they agree with my analysis of the law but object to the “burdens” (what I’d call minimum basic protections) that employment law imposes on employers: If government did not impose […]

Uber’s Passenger Acceptance Rules: More Evidence of Employee Status

Jul 14, 2017 Benjamin Sachs

I’ve been reading Alex Rosenblat’s excellent work on Uber, and want to emphasize one of her findings, a finding that is highly relevant to the employment question but one that we haven’t highlighted sufficiently on the blog. (For other coverage of Rosenblat’s findings, see here). In a paper co-authored by Luke Stark, Rosenblat describes what […]

Uber Adds a Tip Option

Jun 21, 2017 Benjamin Sachs

Lost in the extensive coverage of Travis Kalanick’s resignation is the news that Uber is adding an in-app tip option. According to the Washington Post, the option is already available in Houston, Minneapolis, and Seattle, and should be part of the app nationwide by the end of July. The move comes on the heels of the […]

NPR’s Aarti Shahani asks Uber drivers: Do You Feel Like Your Own Boss?

Jun 8, 2017 Benjamin Sachs

The answer: No. Through Shahani’s reporting, Uber drivers give clear voice to the key legal arguments about employment status. The picture of control that emerges from these interviews is unmistakable. It’s a terrific piece – and a highly recommended listen.

A Missed Opportunity: Worker Voice in Portable Benefits

Jun 1, 2017 Sharon Block

Last week, Senator Mark Warner and Rep. Suzan DelBene introduced the Portable Benefits for Independent Workers Pilot Program Act. The Act would authorize $20 million for competitive grants to states, local governments and nonprofits to fund pilot projects around portable benefits. The program aims to provide wide latitude for grantees to experiment with innovative new […]

May 30, 2017
News & Commentary

Feyi Lawoyin

Uber and Lyft returned to Austin, TX on Monday after Texas Governor Greg Abbott signed HB 100 into law, eliminating Austin’s fingerprint requirements for drivers. As the LA Times describes, the bill designates the state, not local, government as the regulator of the “ride-hailing industry.” Uber and Lyft left Austin in May of 2016 after […]

Gig News: NLJ Update on Gig Economy Legislation and Lawsuits

May 2, 2017 Jon Weinberg

Last week, The National Law Journal published an update on state legislation and lawsuits regarding the classification of gig economy workers as independent contractors. First, the article noted that the Florida Legislature has passed a bill, expected to be signed into law by Governor Rick Scott, “that classifies drivers for companies such as Uber and Lyft as […]

Are Lyft and Pepsi Playing the Same Game?

Apr 27, 2017 Leora Smith

Recently, following swift and widespread backlash, Pepsi pulled an advertisement that was accused of co-opting imagery from Black Lives Matter protests and other social movements. The advertisement’s storyline centered on model Kendall Jenner abandoning a photo shoot to join a parade of ethnically diverse models carrying ambiguous posters painted with peace signs, love written backward […]

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OnLabor

Law. Workers. Organizing.

OnLabor is a blog devoted to workers, unions, and their politics. We interpret our subject broadly to include the current crisis in the traditional union movement (why union decline is happening and what it means for our society); the new and contested forms of worker organization that are filling the labor union gap; how work ought to be structured and managed; how workers ought to be represented and compensated; and the appropriate role of government — all three branches — in each of these issues.

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