Posted on 08/08/2019 3:11:00 PM PDT by morphing libertarian
BY ADELE PETERS
Los Angeles county, where the minimum wage is currently $14.25 an hour, studies suggest that Uber and Lyft drivers often make far less. In El Monte, an industrial city east of Los Angeles, the city council just unanimously voted to change that, telling city officials to begin drafting a law that would guarantee drivers a minimum of $30 an hour.
While other cities have set minimum wages for ride-hail drivers, this would be the highest in the country, and it comes after pressure from the Mobile Workers Alliance, a project from the Service Employees International Union, Local 721. “Currently, workers who are working for companies like Uber and Lyft are working lots of hours and still making less than minimum wage,” says Coral Itzcalli, an organizer for the union.
“On average, we hear from workers that they’re working daily 12 to 16 hours a day. That translates to tired people behind the wheel on already congested public roads. And no one should put their life or the life of someone else at risk by being so tired behind the wheel just because they’re trying to earn the pennies on the dollar that Uber and Lyft is paying them.”
The pay might sound generous, but it’s intended to provide drivers with $15 an hour to cover the costs of operating their cars and another $15 in take-home pay. Itzcalli says that drivers have to cover the cost of gas, frequent oil changes and other maintenance because they’re driving so many miles, and extra insurance because standard car insurance doesn’t cover ride-hail drivers. Many drivers have to work a week and a half just to cover the basic operating expenses of driving. A recent study from the Economic Policy Institute found that the average hourly wage for Uber drivers was just $11.77. The union’s own surveys suggest it’s actually closer to $8-9 an hour in the area.
“California is one of the most expensive states to live in,” says Itzcalli. “Housing is very, very expensive. Many of these folks are just one paycheck away from being homeless. We already have a homeless crisis. It is something that we all feel is urgent, because we cannot continue to allow these companies to drive our communities to the ground.”
City officials will have 120 days to develop the new ordinance, which will likely require another vote. Lyft, in response, offered a boilerplate statement about working to increase drivers wages. Uber did not respond by press time. In the meantime, a separate state bill is making its way to the governor that would force companies like Uber and Lyft to classify drivers as employees, not independent contractors.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Adele Peters is a staff writer at Fast Company who focuses on solutions to some of the world's largest problems, from climate change to homelessness. Previously, she worked with GOOD, BioLite, and the Sustainable Products and Solutions program at UC Berkeley, and contributed to the second edition of the bestselling book "Worldchanging: A User's Guide for the 21st Century." More
I worked in the tyler building south of ten and ended to go south to get to the Bakooka for lunch ., LOL
My first El Monte parolee I told him not to go too east la. The first day out he goes moo Maravilla neighborhood east los. Then with others to Huntington beach where he and his vatos stomped a surfer to death with their hard shoes. My first successful parole case. circa 1970
The city was to force people onto mass transit.
This will add even more cars to crowded streets and freeways.
...wants...
I lived pomona. worked elmonte 10 months never went to race track. There was great fats food place up Rosemead on the right. hot dogs and hamburgers. not a chain.
I lived in El Monte until 2010. If I was still there, I would walk 2 blocks to the city of Baldwin Park and call Uber from there.
Anybody remember the radio ads for events at El Monte Legion Stadium—”Be there or be square!”?
Why not $300?
LA county trying to force people onto buses where the homeless crap, sleep, piss and put their penises on women’s shoulders. All true. Currently a road diet craze. Reducing car lanes for bike lanes to get people out of cars. See dozens of cars backed up at gore point and no one in bike lane.
send my check I worked 6 hours this week
“I don’t go to El Monte. It’s a shithole.”
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Probably explains why they want to pay the drivers thirty dollars an hour.
The drivers need the money to pay for bullet proof vests, body armor, and high premiums for life insurance.
And the reason for that is because cab companies and cities had long developed a relationship where, in exchange for donations/bribes/fees/whatever you want to call it, the few cab companies that would be allowed to operate would find little competition and a very profitable market. Neither Uber nor Lyft greases the palms of cities, and therefore many cities want to back to the bad old days.
On average, we hear from workers that they’re working daily 12 to 16 hours a day. That translates to tired people behind the wheel on already congested public roads. And no one should put their life or the life of someone else at risk by being so tired behind the wheel just because they’re trying to earn the pennies on the dollar that Uber and Lyft is paying them.”
This is a complete work of fiction. Drivers in most states are limited to how many hours they can drive, and the companies know through their apps how long they have been driving.
Furthermore, being a driver like this is a completely voluntary transaction on both ends. This means that drivers can work as much or as little as they like. If they want to stay near their home, they can do that, even if there may be fewer rides there. Or they could drive to a place with a lot of activity, like where the bars are, and be driving continuously. This is the great part of these types of jobs, is that it can conform to your needs, rather than you always having to conform to the employer's needs. This makes it a great gig for students, moms, retired people.
The next thing you know, they will be making Uber drivers hang fuzzy dice from the mirror and carry bongos in the back...
They could and should be making money hand over fist.
There is no reason for them to go broke except that they are subsidizing drivers and spending lots of money expanding/marketing in new territories.
I predict one day soon some of these uber/lyft drivers will make their own app where the drivers keep 90%+ of the money. And when they do the drivers will start promoting the service to all their uber/lift passengers and force uber/lift to pay out a greater share and charge more/subsidize less.
It’s not overly complicated stuff. It’s supposed to be cheaper to manage than a taxi dispatch service. That’s sort of the point of automating the whole thing.
Every other no skill worker should get $40 an hour too.
robots, kiosks and auto drive cars. good bye overpaid jobs.
I don’t want some self driving car.
all my cars are self driving. I drive them myself.
Me too!
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