Buried by news of the US federal shutdown ending was a government decision that has staggering implications for Uber and companies like it.
On Jan. 25, the Republican-majority National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) ruled in a 3-1, party-line vote that shuttle van drivers for SuperShuttle are independent contractors, not employees. The ruling strips SuperShuttle drivers in Dallas-Fort Worth, who had sought to organize, of that right. Protected bargaining is only granted to traditional employees.
This case is not about Uber, and yet it is entirely about Uber.