I Am the C.E.O. of Uber. Gig Workers Deserve Better.

[brooklynite]

New York Times

Since the first Uber trip 10 years ago, one existential question has shadowed us: Do we treat drivers well?

Many of our critics, including The New York Times editorial board, believe that Uber and our gig economy peers have failed drivers by treating them as contractors, and that we will do anything to avoid the cost of employee benefits like health insurance. Given our company’s history, I can understand why they think that. But it’s not true, and it’s not what I believe.

Our current employment system is outdated and unfair.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. Uber is ready, right now, to pay more to give drivers new benefits and protections. But America needs to change the status quo to protect all workers, not just one type of work.

Why not just treat drivers as employees? Some of our critics argue that doing so would make drivers’ problems vanish overnight. It may seem like a reasonable assumption, but it’s one that I think ignores a stark reality: Uber would only have full-time jobs for a small fraction of our current drivers and only be able to operate in many fewer cities than today. Rides would be more expensive, which would significantly reduce the number of rides people could take and, in turn, the number of drivers needed to provide those trips. Uber would not be as widely available to riders, and drivers would lose the flexibility they have today if they became employees.

Mr. Khosrowshahi is the chief executive officer of Uber.

[The Magistrate]

1. Talk Is Cheap, Sir

If he 'is ready, right now, to pay more to give drivers new benefits and protections' then let him do so.

Now.

[gratuitous]

2. So he admits he doesn't have a sustainable business plan

Being an Uber driver doesn't really pay well enough for a person to make a living, but if the rates were increased to make it pay for the drivers, then they'd have to shut down in many cities. Basically, Khosrowshahi is running a pyramid scheme where those at the top (guess who) rake in money hand over fist, while the labor that creates that wealth has to be subsidized from somewhere else (the U.S. taxpayer, naturally) so his employees don't starve in the street.

[MichMan]

3. Isn't part of the appeal that one can set their own hours and work whenever they wish?

Work a few hours a day at peak periods on selected days is how many would need to work.

In a busy urban area, there may be enough demand during off peak hours to keep a driver busy, but in other areas I don't see that happening.


I have never had a full time job as an employee that allowed me to decide each day if I wanted to work a few hours or not