Today’s News & Commentary — October 18, 2018

Uber has reached a settlement with 5,000 drivers who argue they were misclassified as independent contractors. The drivers were not covered by an arbitration agreement, though most drivers are now required to sign such an agreement before driving for the company. The agreement will pay $1.3 million to the drivers, or about $150 per driver on average after subtracting attorneys’ fees and costs.

Senator Bernie Sanders continued his public attacks on Amazon, this time alleging it has interfered with efforts of Whole Foods employees to unionize. Senator Sanders was joined by Senator Elizabeth Warren in writing a letter to the company demanding an explanation for a leaked video that appeared to show managers making anti-union threats to Whole Foods employees.

The Labor Department’s regulatory agenda for the next few months includes attempts to roll back the joint employer rule and changes to overtime pay. Franchise businesses like McDonald’s have been pushing to overturn the Obama-era joint employer rule, which holds the parent corporation liable for the labor violations of the franchisee. However, Labor Department attempts to turn back the rule have been complicated by conflicts of interest at the NLRB.