Uber

Politics & Government

California Voters Give Uber, Lyft A Win But Some Drivers Aren't So Sure

8:11am November 05, 2020

by Shannon Bond

Uber and Lyft are cheering the passage of Prop 22, which says they don't have to treat their drivers as employees and provide benefits such as paid sick leave. Critics say they'll keep fighting.

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A new federal lawsuit alleges that Uber's "star rating" system discriminates against drivers of color and drivers with accents. According to the suit, Uber terminates drivers whose ratings get too low.

National

Uber Fires Drivers Based On 'Racially Biased' Star Rating System, Lawsuit Claims

3:47pm October 26, 2020

by Bobby Allyn

The suit claims Uber's rating system, which is based on passenger reviews, discriminates against drivers who are not white or who have accents. Uber says the claim is untrue.

A phone shows the Uber app in front of a taxi stand at Waterloo station in London on Monday. The ride-sharing service won its appeal after Transport for London denied a renewal of its operating license late last year.

World News

Uber Can Keep Operating In London, Magistrate Rules

6:02pm September 28, 2020

by Matthew S. Schwartz

Regulators had refused to renew Uber's license, finding its lax security controls had put passengers at risk. But a court found that Uber had fixed the problems and was fit to operate in the city.

Rafaela Vasquez has been charged with negligent homicide in the death of a pedestrian struck by an autonomous Uber SUV in March 2018. Vasquez was at the wheel of the vehicle at the time.

National

Backup Driver Of Autonomous Uber SUV Charged With Negligent Homicide In Arizona

3:31pm September 16, 2020

by Laurel Wamsley

Rafaela Vasquez was watching the television show The Voice when the car struck a pedestrian walking her bike across a Tempe street at night.

An appeals court has given Uber and Lyft more time to fight a judge's order over how they classify their drivers, averting a threatened shutdown in California.

National

Uber, Lyft Will Not Suspend Service In California After Court Gives Them More Time

6:15pm August 20, 2020

by Shannon Bond

An appeals court has given the ride-hailing companies more time to fight a judge's order that they reclassify their drivers as employees to comply with state law.

In a ruling Monday, a California judge said Lyft and Uber have refused to comply with a California law, known as AB5, passed last year that was supposed to make it harder for companies in the state to hire workers as contractors.

National

California Judge Orders Uber And Lyft To Consider All Drivers Employees

1:00pm August 11, 2020

by Bobby Allyn

Uber and Lyft have been fighting California over whether drivers are employees, entitled to benefits, or independent contractors. A state judge orders them to consider all those drivers employees.

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The lawsuit is the first big test of a new state law that poses a serious threat to the ride-hailing apps' business models.

National

California Sues Uber And Lyft For 'Cheating' Drivers And Taxpayers

6:07pm May 05, 2020

by Shannon Bond

The state accuses the ride-hailing apps of flouting a labor law by classifying drivers as independent contractors instead of employees.

Willy Solis, who delivers groceries for the app Shipt in Denton, Texas, says the coronavirus pandemic has elevated the voices of workers like him, who are risking their lives to do essential jobs.

More Essential Than Ever, Low-Wage Workers Demand More

6:07pm April 28, 2020

In this lockdown, low-wage workers have been publicly declared "essential" — up there with doctors and nurses. But the workers say their pay, benefits and protections don't reflect it.

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Jerome Gage, a Lyft driver in Torrance, Calif., has been joining protests urging the ride-hailing companies to treat workers better.

He Keeps Driving For Lyft 'Because People Need Us'

4:45pm April 23, 2020

by Shannon Bond

Many Lyft and Uber drivers have given up on driving, because they aren't making enough money to take the risk of potentially exposing themselves to the coronavirus. Jerome Gage is still at it.

Gig companies have started offering benefits like paid sick leave now that workers are on the front lines of the coronavirus pandemic, and some are getting sick.

Health & Safety

Gig Workers Struggle To Get Financial Help During Pandemic

5:02pm April 05, 2020

by Shannon Bond

Gig companies like Instacart and Uber promise financial assistance to workers affected by the coronavirus. But some workers are finding it hard to get that aid.

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