The first time I met Travis Kalanick, the cofounder and then CEO of Uber, he explained his vision in three blunt sentences: “One day, no one will own a car. Cars will drive themselves. And they’ll come to you at the push of a button.” Like any venture capitalist, I hear endless pitches from starry-eyed […]
Category Archives: Drivers
Uber, Lyft Drivers Are Employees, According to California Regulator
Uber and Lyft drivers are classified as employees, the California Public Utilities Commission has officially ruled. The regulator, which oversees ride-hailing companies, declared its decision in an order published on Tuesday. It said “a person providing labor or services for remuneration shall be considered an employee rather than an independent contractor” under AB5, the state’s new law covering gig work, which became […]
Coronavirus And The Gig Economy — Tensions Grow Between GrubHub And Restaurants
With lockdown orders across the country barring people from packing into restaurants and bars, many business owners in the industry are operating solely off of takeout and delivery orders. Many customers rely on food delivery from online apps and websites like UberEats, GrubHub, and DoorDash, and since the COVID-19 pandemic began spreading across the United […]
PANDEMIC PUTS TENSIONS BETWEEN RESTAURANTS AND THIRD-PARTY DELIVERY IN CROSSHAIRS
Restaurant operators have long had a fraught relationship with third-party delivery providers, wrestling over commission fees and access to customer data, among other issues. But as the country’s restaurant operations are forced to shift to off-premise-only mode to slow the spread of the coronavirus, the fissures between restaurants and third-party delivery companies are becoming even […]
Uber, Lyft Revenues Drop By Staggering 50% Due To Coronavirus Outbreak
The one-time IPO darlings of yesteryear are about to take another beating. We already knew that the COVID-19 pandemic would deliver a huge blow to the so-called ‘sharing economy’, at least in the short term,as Airbnb to permanently delay plans for an IPO and pledge hundreds of millions of dollars to offset the costs of cancellations […]
DoorDash Doesn’t Know Which Restaurants Are Open, and Drivers Pay the Price
During the ongoing coronavirus pandemic many people sheltered indoors are turning to food delivery apps to have meals or groceries brought to their doorstep. But some drivers working for popular app DoorDash are making as little as just over $3 an hour, according to multiple DoorDash drivers. One reason some drivers are making so little money during the coronavirus […]
Postmates couriers are employees, New York appeals court finds
An appeals court in New York has concluded that Postmates couriers are employees entitled to unemployment insurance (In re Vega, No. 13 (State of New York Court of Appeals, March 20, 2020)). Postmates, according the court, is a delivery business that uses a website and smartphone application to dispatch couriers to pick up goods from local restaurants and stores […]
New York Court Rules That Postmates Couriers Are Employees — and Eligible for Unemployment
The New York Court of Appeals has ruled that Postmates couriers are employees and therefore eligible for unemployment benefits during the COVID-19 pandemic. The ruling is actually a reinstatement of a 2015 decision, which found that former Postmates courier Luis A. Vega was eligible for unemployment benefits after he was terminated from the service. Postmates had appealed the […]
Delivery demand amid coronavirus prompts workers to walk out, disrupting operations
As grocery outlets and retailers across the country ramp up employment to keep up with demand during the coronavirus outbreak, they’re facing growing backlash from workers who say their lives are being put at risk. Instacart workers staged a walkout Monday, citing a list of demands including hazard pay, an extra $5 per order, and […]
Local delivery drivers feel impact of coronavirus as long wait times hurt ratings
CARMEL, Ind. — Delivery drivers feel the impacts of the coronavirus through circumstances beyond their control. Because restaurants are shorter-staffed these days, that means longer wait times for orders. “It’s been over at least an hour at some restaurants, especially in the Westfield/Carmel area,” Alyssa Bowen said. Bowen and her husband deliver for DoorDash full […]