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1/ Happy #MonopolyMonday!
This week we’ll be doing something a little different — we’re looking at the ways corporations entrench their power & focusing on California’s Proposition 22.
This week we’ll be doing something a little different — we’re looking at the ways corporations entrench their power & focusing on California’s Proposition 22.
2/ What’s Prop 22?
If you have to ask, you probably don’t live in California, where @Uber, @Lyft, @DoorDash and @Instacart have plowed $200 million into deceptive commercials urging voters to support the most expensive ballot initiative of all time. https://www.nytimes.com/2020/10/23/technology/uber-lyft-california-prop-22.html">https://www.nytimes.com/2020/10/2...
If you have to ask, you probably don’t live in California, where @Uber, @Lyft, @DoorDash and @Instacart have plowed $200 million into deceptive commercials urging voters to support the most expensive ballot initiative of all time. https://www.nytimes.com/2020/10/23/technology/uber-lyft-california-prop-22.html">https://www.nytimes.com/2020/10/2...
3/ Prop 22 would overturn AB-5, a law passed in 2019 by overwhelming margins in both houses of the CA state legislature.
In theory, that law forced the rideshare & delivery companies to pay drivers the minimum wage & provide other protections to their workers.
In theory, that law forced the rideshare & delivery companies to pay drivers the minimum wage & provide other protections to their workers.
4/ When AB-5 went into effect in January, the gig driver apps instead decided in unison to pretend it didn’t exist.
Now, w/ Prop 22, they’re trying to cement their ability to avoid giving workers:
https://abs.twimg.com/emoji/v2/... draggable="false" alt="🛑" title="Stop sign" aria-label="Emoji: Stop sign"> an hourly minimum wage
https://abs.twimg.com/emoji/v2/... draggable="false" alt="🛑" title="Stop sign" aria-label="Emoji: Stop sign"> paid sick leave
https://abs.twimg.com/emoji/v2/... draggable="false" alt="🛑" title="Stop sign" aria-label="Emoji: Stop sign"> unemployment benefits
Now, w/ Prop 22, they’re trying to cement their ability to avoid giving workers:
5/ Instead of using their venture capital billions to pay drivers a living wage, they used them to doxx a law professor who had criticized their labor practices. https://academeblog.org/2020/09/02/uber-lyft-promoting-harassment-of-law-professor/">https://academeblog.org/2020/09/0...
6/ And instead of giving workers paid sick leave in a pandemic, they spammed CA mailboxes w/ fraudulent pro-Prop 22 mailers from phony groups like “Feel The Bern Progressive Voter Guide” — and illegally cheated the Postal Service millions to do it. https://www.sfchronicle.com/business/article/Cash-rich-Uber-backed-Prop-22-campaign-scrimps-15664758.php">https://www.sfchronicle.com/business/...
7/ @BernieSanders later called out @Uber & @Lyft for their deception. https://twitter.com/berniesanders/status/1315650084567121920">https://twitter.com/berniesan...
8/ @DoorDash, @Uber, @Instacart & @Lyft each owe the state tens of millions of dollars in penalties for wantonly flouting the gig worker law. https://payup.wtf/doordash/no-free-lunch-report#:~:text=%E2%9E%A1%EF%B8%8F%20On%20average%2C%20DoorDash%20pays,takes%2030%20minutes%20to%20complete">https://payup.wtf/doordash/...
9/ Just last Thurs., a CA appeals court said @Uber & @Lyft MUST classify their drivers as employees rather than independent contractors.
The ruling affirmed an August ruling of a superior court judge ordering them to comply with the law. https://www.npr.org/2020/10/22/926916925/uber-and-lyft-must-make-drivers-employees-california-appeals-court-rules">https://www.npr.org/2020/10/2...
The ruling affirmed an August ruling of a superior court judge ordering them to comply with the law. https://www.npr.org/2020/10/22/926916925/uber-and-lyft-must-make-drivers-employees-california-appeals-court-rules">https://www.npr.org/2020/10/2...
10/ 3 judges & 85 CA legislators agree: @Uber & @Lyft must stop breaking laws & pay workers like everyone else.
But instead of complying, the gig driver apps drafted a clause into Prop 22 prohibiting any amendment to it w/o a 7/8 majority in BOTH HOUSES. https://calmatters.org/economy/2020/08/california-gig-work-ab5-prop-22/">https://calmatters.org/economy/2...
But instead of complying, the gig driver apps drafted a clause into Prop 22 prohibiting any amendment to it w/o a 7/8 majority in BOTH HOUSES. https://calmatters.org/economy/2020/08/california-gig-work-ab5-prop-22/">https://calmatters.org/economy/2...
11/ As @ZephyrTeachout details in her new book Break ‘Em Up, breaking the law is the whole business model for Silicon Valley gig worker giants.
https://us.macmillan.com/books/9781250200891">https://us.macmillan.com/books/978...
https://us.macmillan.com/books/9781250200891">https://us.macmillan.com/books/978...
12/ Earlier this year, @Uber & @Lyft were sued by CA Labor Commissioner for wage theft. https://www.cnn.com/2020/08/05/tech/california-labor-commission-uber-lyft-wage-theft-suit/index.html">https://www.cnn.com/2020/08/0...
13/ Less than a month later, they were sued by the Massachusetts AG for misclassifying their workers as independent contractors. https://www.nytimes.com/2020/07/14/technology/massachusetts-sues-uber-lyft.html">https://www.nytimes.com/2020/07/1...
14/ As @moetkacik’s “Rescuing Restaurants” reveals this worker exploitation is also a key, dangerous part of dominant delivery apps’ - like @UberEats - toxic business models. https://www.economicliberties.us/our-work/rescuing-restaurants-how-to-protect-restaurants-workers-and-communities-from-predatory-delivery-app-corporations/">https://www.economicliberties.us/our-work/...
