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Why do we build and invest in technology? What is the purpose of innovation?
Nate D'Anna of @dumplingUS and I believe it’s not only about maximizing investor returns, but also about improving societal welfare. We wrote a letter about gig work and Prop 22. https://li.substack.com/p/uber-and-instacart-dont-represent
Nate D'Anna of @dumplingUS and I believe it’s not only about maximizing investor returns, but also about improving societal welfare. We wrote a letter about gig work and Prop 22. https://li.substack.com/p/uber-and-instacart-dont-represent
Platforms thrive when all their participants thrive.
We're increasingly appreciating that fact for content creators, but what about the services we use every day and the workers who power them?
We're increasingly appreciating that fact for content creators, but what about the services we use every day and the workers who power them?
It's clear that Uber, Lyft, & other gig platforms have created tremendous value. But that value has disproportionately accrued to execs and investors rather than to gig workers themselves—they're not intrinsically less valuable; they just have less leverage and bargaining power.
Those companies have poured $200M into a campaign for Prop 22 to exempt themselves from classifying gig workers as employees.
We'd like to see a new regulatory framework that reflects the future of work, but Prop 22—which would create a permanent underclass of workers—is not it.
We'd like to see a new regulatory framework that reflects the future of work, but Prop 22—which would create a permanent underclass of workers—is not it.
Prop 22 codifies everything based on "engaged time" so workers would earn far less than min wage (~$5.64/hr).
Drivers would need to work 39 hours/wk just to qualify for the minimum healthcare benefit.
Prop 22 rolls back existing protections against harassment & discrimination.
Drivers would need to work 39 hours/wk just to qualify for the minimum healthcare benefit.
Prop 22 rolls back existing protections against harassment & discrimination.
Importantly - the classical idea in economics that competitive-equilibrium pricing maximizes social welfare relies on the assumption that every participant in the market has the same welfare weight—but that’s not the case in markets with significant inequality (e.g. gig work!).
No on Prop 22 would avert creating a permanent underclass of workers.
Beyond this, @dumplicious and I excited to build & invest in companies that are creating a more sustainable and meaningful future of work, one in which workers are empowered with ownership, control, and upside
Beyond this, @dumplicious and I excited to build & invest in companies that are creating a more sustainable and meaningful future of work, one in which workers are empowered with ownership, control, and upside
Related resources:
- https://laborcenter.berkeley.edu/the-uber-lyft-ballot-initiative-guarantees-only-5-64-an-hour-2/
- Pay, Passengers and Profits
https://irle.berkeley.edu/files/2020/10/Pay-Passengers-and-Profits.pdf
- The Gig Companies That Are Trying to Hustle Wall Street @dumplicious
https://medium.com/dumpling-blog/the-gig-companies-hustling-wall-street-8f6a4f699d37
- Uber, Lyft taking a page out of Big Tobacco's playbook https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2020/sep/11/why-uber-and-lyft-are-taking-a-page-out-of-big-tobaccos-playbook-in-labor-law-battle
- https://laborcenter.berkeley.edu/the-uber-lyft-ballot-initiative-guarantees-only-5-64-an-hour-2/
- Pay, Passengers and Profits
https://irle.berkeley.edu/files/2020/10/Pay-Passengers-and-Profits.pdf
- The Gig Companies That Are Trying to Hustle Wall Street @dumplicious
https://medium.com/dumpling-blog/the-gig-companies-hustling-wall-street-8f6a4f699d37
- Uber, Lyft taking a page out of Big Tobacco's playbook https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2020/sep/11/why-uber-and-lyft-are-taking-a-page-out-of-big-tobaccos-playbook-in-labor-law-battle
