4 ms·

I wonder if this will lead to other groups asking for this ability. Take farmers, for example. Maybe they could lobby for a waiver for collective price-fixing

I wonder if this will lead to other groups asking for this ability. Take farmers, for example. Maybe they could lobby for a waiver for collective price-fixing. Or hair stylists, or truck drivers, or gardeners...

toomuchtodo 11y ago
> or truck drivers I assume you've never heard of the Teamsters union?
- nostromo 11y ago
  A quick Google search says that only 5% of truck drivers are unionized.
  - toomuchtodo 11y ago
    Your comment asked if other industries might unionize. I simply pointed out there's an existing union for truck drivers, not its membership level.
    - nostromo 11y ago
      Sure, makes sense. My point is more about price-fixing though. Obviously a union that represents 100% of Seattle cabbies will have a lot more power to set prices than 5% of truck drivers. I suppose it will come down to the language of the Seattle law -- the article isn't clear if this is an optional-membership union or not. I presume it's not optional, because otherwise it would be very easy for Uber and Lyft to sidestep.
      - ncallaway 11y ago
        The full text of the proposed bill is here: http://seattle.legistar.com/ViewReport.ashx?M=R&N=Text&GID=393&ID=2296991&GUID=A1841B13-CF4F-4E5A-9409-A613DC6B2B15&Title=Legislation+Text http://seattle.legistar.com/ViewReport.ashx?M=R&N=Text&GID=3... Each "driver coordinator" (e.g. Uber and Lyft) will have one union entity that is certified to enter negotiations with the driver coordinator — as chosen by the majority of drivers who choose to participate in the process. As far as I can tell, the law doesn't require drivers to enter the union but it doesn't prohibit such an agreement: > 1. Nothing in this Section 6.310.735 shall preclude a driver coordinator from making an agreement with the EDR to require membership of for-hire drivers in the EDR’s entity/organization as a condition of being hired, contracted with, or partnered with by the driver coordinator to provide for-hire services to the public The main thing the law does is prevent the driver coordinators from punishing specific individuals from participating in the process. This is a critical factor that is necessary for any real union to take off — otherwise Uber can simply fire anyone who expresses any desire to unionize and prevent the union entity from attaining any critical mass. > A driver coordinator shall not retaliate against any for-hire driver for exercising the right to participate in the representative process provided by this Section 6.310.735. It shall be a violation for a driver coordinator or its agent, designee, employee, or any person or group of persons acting directly or indirectly in the interest of the driver coordinator in relation to the for-hire driver to: > 1. Interfere with, restrain, or deny the exercise of, or the attempt to exercise, any right protected under this Section 6.310.735; or > 2. Take adverse action, including but not limited to threatening, harassing, penalizing, or in any other manner discriminating or retaliating against a driver because the driver has exercised the rights protected under this Section 6.310.735.

toomuchtodo 11y ago

> or truck drivers I assume you've never heard of the Teamsters union?

nostromo 11y ago
A quick Google search says that only 5% of truck drivers are unionized.
- toomuchtodo 11y ago
  Your comment asked if other industries might unionize. I simply pointed out there's an existing union for truck drivers, not its membership level.
  - nostromo 11y ago
    Sure, makes sense. My point is more about price-fixing though. Obviously a union that represents 100% of Seattle cabbies will have a lot more power to set prices than 5% of truck drivers. I suppose it will come down to the language of the Seattle law -- the article isn't clear if this is an optional-membership union or not. I presume it's not optional, because otherwise it would be very easy for Uber and Lyft to sidestep.
    - ncallaway 11y ago
      The full text of the proposed bill is here: http://seattle.legistar.com/ViewReport.ashx?M=R&N=Text&GID=393&ID=2296991&GUID=A1841B13-CF4F-4E5A-9409-A613DC6B2B15&Title=Legislation+Text http://seattle.legistar.com/ViewReport.ashx?M=R&N=Text&GID=3... Each "driver coordinator" (e.g. Uber and Lyft) will have one union entity that is certified to enter negotiations with the driver coordinator — as chosen by the majority of drivers who choose to participate in the process. As far as I can tell, the law doesn't require drivers to enter the union but it doesn't prohibit such an agreement: > 1. Nothing in this Section 6.310.735 shall preclude a driver coordinator from making an agreement with the EDR to require membership of for-hire drivers in the EDR’s entity/organization as a condition of being hired, contracted with, or partnered with by the driver coordinator to provide for-hire services to the public The main thing the law does is prevent the driver coordinators from punishing specific individuals from participating in the process. This is a critical factor that is necessary for any real union to take off — otherwise Uber can simply fire anyone who expresses any desire to unionize and prevent the union entity from attaining any critical mass. > A driver coordinator shall not retaliate against any for-hire driver for exercising the right to participate in the representative process provided by this Section 6.310.735. It shall be a violation for a driver coordinator or its agent, designee, employee, or any person or group of persons acting directly or indirectly in the interest of the driver coordinator in relation to the for-hire driver to: > 1. Interfere with, restrain, or deny the exercise of, or the attempt to exercise, any right protected under this Section 6.310.735; or > 2. Take adverse action, including but not limited to threatening, harassing, penalizing, or in any other manner discriminating or retaliating against a driver because the driver has exercised the rights protected under this Section 6.310.735.