10 ms·

Uber Drivers Protest Outside the Company’s San Francisco Headquarters

95 points by bcn 14y ago

saosebastiao 14y ago
What a surprise...commodity producers aren't happy with commodity pay. Never would have predicted that.
- netaustin 14y ago
  Black car service is hardly commodity labor. Corn is a commodity. Oil is a commodity. The difference between a good driver and a bad one is tremendous--the better ones drive confidently and know where they're going, and the bad ones are tethered to their GPS. As a frequent user of Uber (in NYC) I've seen both. But I understand I'm not paying for a commodity, which is why this concerns me. My relationship with Uber is through its drivers, not their app--I'm just worried they don't understand that.
  - sybhn 14y ago
    There are degres of commodity, it does not only apply to raw material, i.e. IT infrastructure is turning into commodity, but you will still find differentials. The range of differentials is what defines if it's commodity or not. I would agree with the previous poster, drivers are mostly commodity producers. Just like barbers, you might find one exceptional here and then, but generally it's all commodity.
    - timr 14y ago
      London cab drivers demonstrate your point precisely: a lot of specialized training is required, but they're all identical. A somewhat expensive commodity, but a commodity nonetheless.
    - wilfra 14y ago
      by that rationale, programmers are a commodity with a range of skill levels. right?
      - Karunamon 14y ago
        Never really thought about it that way, but yes, that definition fits. Some are amazingly elite, some are mediocre, and everything in between. It's what led to lots of development jobs being outsourced to India and similar. Thankfully though it seems that trend is reversing because businesses are finding out what they gain in cost savings is quickly eaten up by lack of quality.
      - sybhn 14y ago
        yeah and that's why some programming activities were outsourced to lower wage countries (low end of the 'range' you refer to) a while ago - and still is.
    - adestefan 14y ago
      This is how you end up on the path of calling your work force human capital. Don't go down that path. Your definition would also include entrepreneurs. There might be a good one here and there, but I could just walk into any coffee shop and pick up another one.
jamiequint 14y ago
If they hate Uber so much they should stop using it. They aren't obligated to Uber in any way. The "rampant firing" happens when drivers who suck get poor ratings (below 4.7 and you go on probation according to an Uber driver I talked to) sounds like their own problem not Uber's.
- Sam_Odio 14y ago
  Not sure why this is getting downvoted, seems like a valid point (specifically, if they dislike Uber they should stop using it). Can anyone elaborate?
  - fnordfnordfnord 14y ago
    Well Sam, if I had some issue that I wanted to discuss, and the response I got from you was [take it or leave it/piss off/eat crap/sit on it and spin/go fly a kite]. I might down-vote you. The fact that the drivers want to negotiate means they clearly like something about working with Uber.
    - kirillzubovsky 14y ago
      How about - they know Uber is dominating and they aren't going to stop, therefore if the drivers quit they are simply screwed and there won't be any more work for them? This is a free market, so they can start a competitor to Uber and work there together, but if they can't, negotiating by means of protesting isn't really helpful. This looks like a dirty union-type negotiation. Those were great a 100 years ago, maybe, when low wage laborers were really poorly treated, but no more. These guys are taxi drivers, and I am sorry if Uber is cutting their wages a little or firing the bad ones. This is a free market economy and no one said taxi drivers are entitled to anything.
- ryan_f 14y ago
  It's not as simple as you state. Uber gets a lot of the business so the drivers won't have work without them. That 4.7 is out of 5 also and it is true about the terminations. I have witnessed the mass firings and how they are handled. Drivers also can't dispute their ratings so it takes one person to give them a one star which could lead to being fired. And can you truly say all customers are fair in their ratings? The best thing that could happen for these drivers is having another company open up to compete against uber. Then they wouldn't be a commodity. If they were not "taxi drivers" than everyone would be furious at how they are treated.
spullara 14y ago
I love the way Uber works and use it all the time. It is hard for me to assess whether they have a legitimate gripe though since every driver I have asked directly about the service (which is every ride I take) has answered enthusiastically positive. Maybe just trying to use their leverage to negotiate rather than being truly harmed?
- bmelton 14y ago
  I haven't used it in San Francisco, but I use DC Uber all the time, and I too have had the same response. That said, I would expect most employees to say good things about their employers, even if that weren't the case. I know I personally wouldn't ever say anything negative about my employer, even though I personally haven't any cause to.
  - spullara 14y ago
    I'd count anything neutral as negative. Something I have noticed is that many UberX drivers were formerly UberBLACK drivers. Not sure why though.
- eridius 14y ago
  Maybe the bad drivers are the ones that are picketing, and you're only talking to good drivers? If the good drivers are pleased with the way Uber works, then maybe they're doing something right.
- pmb 14y ago
  The Uber drivers I have asked have also all been very positive. I asked one whether he was dispatched by anyone else, and he said that he used to be, but no longer - now he was Uber-only and he was glad he could ditch the dispatcher model. The guys that own their own cars are not Uber employees - they can sign up to be dispatched by traditional radios instead (or as well). So, from my sample in NYC, Uber is way better than existing models for the drivers.
  - harlanlewis 14y ago
Sam_Odio 14y ago
As far as I can tell this is mostly a consequence of Uber responding to the market (i.e.: competitors like Lyft). With Uber X, Black car drivers no longer have a monopoly on convenient transportation (and from what I hear, that has significantly decreased their business). I can't entirely fault Uber for this...they need to adapt or die.
- dunsudu 14y ago
  This is really an irrelevant question - but why does Uber make a big deal out of the colour of the car? They say on their website that a particular tier gets you a black car, and you say there something about black car drivers. Why would you care if your car is black, or red, or yellow, or whatever. I can understand not wanting a fucking pink car or something, but still. Eg "Hop into the sleek black car", "Our classic black car option is the default". WTF? Maybe it's a US thing - I'm from the UK and I have no idea why you would need a car of a particular colour.
  - andyakb 14y ago
    It doesn't literally apply to just the color of the car. A black car is a luxury car, compare it to first class vs coach in airlines
    - dunsudu 14y ago
      In the UK taxis are black as well.
  - hayksaakian 14y ago
    Some regions of the US have explicit laws about colors of cars and what category of transportation they are licensed under. See new York city.
  - Aloisius 14y ago
    The vast majority of "black cars" are Lincoln Town Cars made for livery services. They are very comfortable and roomy for a passenger to get into. And not all of them are black, that is just shorthand to say it is a full-sized sedan.
smoyer 14y ago
"A large group ..." I count 25 (or 24 if the guy at right-rear has big hair) people in the picture and I suspect that if there were more than that, they'd have made sure to squeeze them into the shot. A small group (proportionally) if you look at the number of drivers Uber has. And do they really represent drivers from the other cities served by Uber or is that wishful thinking. "They don’t have the balls to come down and talk to us" ... maybe because they're busy dispatching thousand of drivers to waiting customers? If Uber is really that hard on the drivers, why don't they work elsewhere? They have no contract, so they're free to go.
danielsiders 14y ago
Can anyone verify that Uber isn't requiring commercial liability insurance from their drivers anymore? If so, that's a huge deal.
- Aloisius 14y ago
  They are livery drivers. Aren't they required by the state to carry liability insurance?
habosa 14y ago
Why is the prevailing attitude in these comments "they have no contract with Uber, they should leave if they don't like it"? Many people in tech have at-will contracts yet when we get articles on HN about bad work conditions we don't just say "well then quit!". I do agree that in the long term these unhappy drivers should look for a different source of income but for now they clearly need uber and as such it's not unfair of them to express their distaste for certain things uber does until they find a better place to work.
- wilfra 14y ago
  Why? Because taxi drivers are blue collar workers and people perceive them as commodities who should feel lucky to be employed. It works the other way also. Try getting sympathy from a mechanic because Yahoo wont let you earn 6 figures writing code from your house.
  - habosa 14y ago
    I didn't want to outright accuse the commenters of that sort of sentiment but that does seem to be the case.
    - badgar 14y ago
      HN commenters are just people like you and me. They care about people like themselves more than people not like themselves. To HN commenters, Uber's founders are like them and taxi drivers aren't. Of course they're going to side with the company here.
      - Shivetya 14y ago
        I have gone through my life with one rule, anyone who is providing me a service I address by Sir or Ma'am. I do not care if its the order taker at McDonalds, the register operator at Wal-Mart, or my Doctor. They are people performing jobs whose service I need or may need, I respect anyone out there earning a living for themselves and their families. For myself it puts everything in perspective, we are all trying to make it in this world and there is nothing to gain by disparaging the position of others. There are times where I really like the people at McDonalds than those I work for, the pretentiousness at times is discouraging.
bmmayer1 14y ago
I had a Sidecar driver this afternoon who told me he was suspended by Uber after he had the bad luck to get Travis Kalanick as a passenger, and failed to pick him up on the right side of the street (according to him).
- larrys 14y ago
  "he had the bad luck to get" In fact all of these rating and ranking systems (as well as public commenting) cause businesses to have to expend excess time and energy to keep a small vocal percentage of customers happy for fear of backlash instead of concentrating on simply making a good or acceptable product that satisfies 95% of customers. I'm reminded of this sometimes when I read tripadvisor reviews where people go off because there is a bug in their room or the desk staff was having a bad day the particular day they arrived.
hackin247 14y ago
Time will tell how long union-strong industries can hold off tech disruption. This is just the beginning.
auctiontheory 14y ago
The combination of having a relatively low-skill and undifferentiated job (as a driver) and of having no employment protection (as a contractor) is unfortunate. I feel for these men, but I think their best choice is to find other employment - this protest will lead nowhere.
philip1209 14y ago
I just got back from San Francisco, where I used Uber for the first time (and continued to use it throughout the trip). I talked to all of the drivers and they seemed quite happy - all had been using the service for over a year, and they had been in the limo business for five to eight years each. They said that now all of their business comes through Uber. However, one stated that there has been a huge increase in Uber drivers, thus making it more difficult to keep busy. I think that some driver backlash is a normal part of growing, and that Uber should maintain strict quality control.
tlrobinson 14y ago
I've used Uber a lot over the past 2 and a half years. I've made a point to ask nearly every driver how they liked the service and I can only recall one (out of dozens) giving anything but praise. So yeah, does not compute, unless things have drastically changed recently.
nostromo 14y ago
You know what killed uber for me? Car2Go. That's what these drivers should be worried about. Wait until it's in SF. This company is going to change the world, even before the driving part is automated.
- realdlee 14y ago
  I've used Car2go a lot and would like to see it in SF, but the tighter parking situation in SF worries me. It's annoying when you're paying by the minute and you have to drive around for 30 minutes looking for parking.
- jarek 14y ago
  car2go, particularly the all-electric networks, is the closest thing we have right now to the electric self-driving roaming taxis that is HN's future of transportation wet dream. There's tons of interesting data in their API about where people go and how people use the cars if you take a bit of effort to mine it. But the coverage on HN is minimal (exactly 26 hits on HNsearch right now) because it's not in SF or NYC or Boston.
salman89 14y ago
Are taxi drivers unionized? If so, what we might be seeing here with Uber is the reason why they are unionized.
brunorsini 14y ago
I've been a heavy Uber user in SF since they started. I was first in line when they launched Uber X, then Uber cab. I then saw Lyft and Sidecar rise in the city and, honestly, do to Uber in a single month what Uber took about a year to do to the taxi industry. Lyft drivers are more friendly and totally trustworthy. The service is cheaper and there are a bunch of cars all around town. Why use Uber anymore, unless all Lyfts/Sidecars are taken? To me this is clearly what this is about. Uber is already being disrupted, so they are desperate to lower their costs to be able to compete again. As a guy who literally gave up vehicle ownership just because of these services, all I can say is god bless startup darwinism.
erso 14y ago
“They’re running a sweatshop with an app." Guys riding around in air-conditioned cars all day calling their working conditions a sweatshop. What if Uber can't actually pay them what they want? Is the solution to force Uber to not fire any drivers, to pay them more than they're able? And by what insane reasoning should they be forced to pay more? Uber isn't owned by the government, and isn't the sole dispatcher around (and certainly not in SF!). If Uber's business model can't support paying the drivers more than there's nothing that can be done except for the drivers that don't like the conditions to quit. If that means that Uber then goes out of business, so be it. No amount of protesting is going to fix that.
- n3rdy 14y ago
  This is typical when employees try to shake down their employer. They exaggerate their working conditions, and ignore the financial circumstances behind a companies actions.
larsberg 14y ago
The major complaint I hear about Uber from Chicago taxi drivers (I like to chat when in a cab) is that Uber only pays them after 10 days. They have to pay weekly rent on their cab, though, which means they can only use Uber when they already have enough money to pay the rent.
Kiro 14y ago
Uber's history is filled with so many scandals and I urge everyone to boycott them.
c0mpute 14y ago
A very interesting dilemma as a consumer/customer. I am sure out of the many fired some are legit firings - drivers not respectful or just not good enough. And similarly some who have been short changed by customers giving bad reviews. So here is my dilemma, wearing the customer hat - if this move by Uber guarantees me that every time I hail a Uber cab, I am guaranteed to get a 4.7 star experience in the minimum (ya sometimes not, but on an average yes). So why wouldn't I want that as a customer? Now if I wear the hat of a sympathetic human, I can probably see some injustice if I sift through all the firings. So how can we hold Uber accountable? Being a realist, sometimes one has to understand that many systems don't have equality and maybe in this case the injustice/inequality benefits the Uber customers.
trvlngwlbry 14y ago
I was surprised to go through these comments (including with a command-F) and not find mention of the recent news of the Uber driver charged with raping a customer. While that story was pretty damaging to Uber, it was equally--if not more—-damaging to the arguments made by the protesting drivers. The rape incident is exactly the type of thing that Uber is trying to prevent by being so strict with its drivers (though, admittedly, a rape could still have occurred with a highly-rated driver). For PR reasons, Uber understandably does not want to point out that bad event, but it would be pretty compelling if they said something like, "Drivers, even if it was just one driver who ruined it for all of you, your bad behavior has forced our hand. We have to do everything we can to protect our customers."
scott_meade 14y ago
I was surprised to see the phrase "Uber Drivers". As I thought I understood it: Uber has no drivers and drivers haver their own companies, simply using Uber as a source of leads for customers. It's like OpenTable for cars, right?

95 points by bcn 14y ago

saosebastiao 14y ago

What a surprise...commodity producers aren't happy with commodity pay. Never would have predicted that.

netaustin 14y ago
Black car service is hardly commodity labor. Corn is a commodity. Oil is a commodity. The difference between a good driver and a bad one is tremendous--the better ones drive confidently and know where they're going, and the bad ones are tethered to their GPS. As a frequent user of Uber (in NYC) I've seen both. But I understand I'm not paying for a commodity, which is why this concerns me. My relationship with Uber is through its drivers, not their app--I'm just worried they don't understand that.
- sybhn 14y ago
  There are degres of commodity, it does not only apply to raw material, i.e. IT infrastructure is turning into commodity, but you will still find differentials. The range of differentials is what defines if it's commodity or not. I would agree with the previous poster, drivers are mostly commodity producers. Just like barbers, you might find one exceptional here and then, but generally it's all commodity.
  - timr 14y ago
    London cab drivers demonstrate your point precisely: a lot of specialized training is required, but they're all identical. A somewhat expensive commodity, but a commodity nonetheless.
  - wilfra 14y ago
    by that rationale, programmers are a commodity with a range of skill levels. right?
    - Karunamon 14y ago
      Never really thought about it that way, but yes, that definition fits. Some are amazingly elite, some are mediocre, and everything in between. It's what led to lots of development jobs being outsourced to India and similar. Thankfully though it seems that trend is reversing because businesses are finding out what they gain in cost savings is quickly eaten up by lack of quality.
    - sybhn 14y ago
      yeah and that's why some programming activities were outsourced to lower wage countries (low end of the 'range' you refer to) a while ago - and still is.
  - adestefan 14y ago
    This is how you end up on the path of calling your work force human capital. Don't go down that path. Your definition would also include entrepreneurs. There might be a good one here and there, but I could just walk into any coffee shop and pick up another one.

jamiequint 14y ago

If they hate Uber so much they should stop using it. They aren't obligated to Uber in any way. The "rampant firing" happens when drivers who suck get poor ratings (below 4.7 and you go on probation according to an Uber driver I talked to) sounds like their own problem not Uber's.

Sam_Odio 14y ago
Not sure why this is getting downvoted, seems like a valid point (specifically, if they dislike Uber they should stop using it). Can anyone elaborate?
- fnordfnordfnord 14y ago
  Well Sam, if I had some issue that I wanted to discuss, and the response I got from you was [take it or leave it/piss off/eat crap/sit on it and spin/go fly a kite]. I might down-vote you. The fact that the drivers want to negotiate means they clearly like something about working with Uber.
  - kirillzubovsky 14y ago
    How about - they know Uber is dominating and they aren't going to stop, therefore if the drivers quit they are simply screwed and there won't be any more work for them? This is a free market, so they can start a competitor to Uber and work there together, but if they can't, negotiating by means of protesting isn't really helpful. This looks like a dirty union-type negotiation. Those were great a 100 years ago, maybe, when low wage laborers were really poorly treated, but no more. These guys are taxi drivers, and I am sorry if Uber is cutting their wages a little or firing the bad ones. This is a free market economy and no one said taxi drivers are entitled to anything.
ryan_f 14y ago
It's not as simple as you state. Uber gets a lot of the business so the drivers won't have work without them. That 4.7 is out of 5 also and it is true about the terminations. I have witnessed the mass firings and how they are handled. Drivers also can't dispute their ratings so it takes one person to give them a one star which could lead to being fired. And can you truly say all customers are fair in their ratings? The best thing that could happen for these drivers is having another company open up to compete against uber. Then they wouldn't be a commodity. If they were not "taxi drivers" than everyone would be furious at how they are treated.

spullara 14y ago

I love the way Uber works and use it all the time. It is hard for me to assess whether they have a legitimate gripe though since every driver I have asked directly about the service (which is every ride I take) has answered enthusiastically positive. Maybe just trying to use their leverage to negotiate rather than being truly harmed?

bmelton 14y ago
I haven't used it in San Francisco, but I use DC Uber all the time, and I too have had the same response. That said, I would expect most employees to say good things about their employers, even if that weren't the case. I know I personally wouldn't ever say anything negative about my employer, even though I personally haven't any cause to.
- spullara 14y ago
  I'd count anything neutral as negative. Something I have noticed is that many UberX drivers were formerly UberBLACK drivers. Not sure why though.
eridius 14y ago
Maybe the bad drivers are the ones that are picketing, and you're only talking to good drivers? If the good drivers are pleased with the way Uber works, then maybe they're doing something right.
pmb 14y ago
The Uber drivers I have asked have also all been very positive. I asked one whether he was dispatched by anyone else, and he said that he used to be, but no longer - now he was Uber-only and he was glad he could ditch the dispatcher model. The guys that own their own cars are not Uber employees - they can sign up to be dispatched by traditional radios instead (or as well). So, from my sample in NYC, Uber is way better than existing models for the drivers.
- harlanlewis 14y ago

Sam_Odio 14y ago

As far as I can tell this is mostly a consequence of Uber responding to the market (i.e.: competitors like Lyft). With Uber X, Black car drivers no longer have a monopoly on convenient transportation (and from what I hear, that has significantly decreased their business). I can't entirely fault Uber for this...they need to adapt or die.

dunsudu 14y ago
This is really an irrelevant question - but why does Uber make a big deal out of the colour of the car? They say on their website that a particular tier gets you a black car, and you say there something about black car drivers. Why would you care if your car is black, or red, or yellow, or whatever. I can understand not wanting a fucking pink car or something, but still. Eg "Hop into the sleek black car", "Our classic black car option is the default". WTF? Maybe it's a US thing - I'm from the UK and I have no idea why you would need a car of a particular colour.
- andyakb 14y ago
  It doesn't literally apply to just the color of the car. A black car is a luxury car, compare it to first class vs coach in airlines
  - dunsudu 14y ago
    In the UK taxis are black as well.
- hayksaakian 14y ago
  Some regions of the US have explicit laws about colors of cars and what category of transportation they are licensed under. See new York city.
- Aloisius 14y ago
  The vast majority of "black cars" are Lincoln Town Cars made for livery services. They are very comfortable and roomy for a passenger to get into. And not all of them are black, that is just shorthand to say it is a full-sized sedan.

smoyer 14y ago

"A large group ..." I count 25 (or 24 if the guy at right-rear has big hair) people in the picture and I suspect that if there were more than that, they'd have made sure to squeeze them into the shot. A small group (proportionally) if you look at the number of drivers Uber has. And do they really represent drivers from the other cities served by Uber or is that wishful thinking. "They don’t have the balls to come down and talk to us" ... maybe because they're busy dispatching thousand of drivers to waiting customers? If Uber is really that hard on the drivers, why don't they work elsewhere? They have no contract, so they're free to go.

danielsiders 14y ago

Can anyone verify that Uber isn't requiring commercial liability insurance from their drivers anymore? If so, that's a huge deal.

Aloisius 14y ago
They are livery drivers. Aren't they required by the state to carry liability insurance?

habosa 14y ago

Why is the prevailing attitude in these comments "they have no contract with Uber, they should leave if they don't like it"? Many people in tech have at-will contracts yet when we get articles on HN about bad work conditions we don't just say "well then quit!". I do agree that in the long term these unhappy drivers should look for a different source of income but for now they clearly need uber and as such it's not unfair of them to express their distaste for certain things uber does until they find a better place to work.

wilfra 14y ago
Why? Because taxi drivers are blue collar workers and people perceive them as commodities who should feel lucky to be employed. It works the other way also. Try getting sympathy from a mechanic because Yahoo wont let you earn 6 figures writing code from your house.
- habosa 14y ago
  I didn't want to outright accuse the commenters of that sort of sentiment but that does seem to be the case.
  - badgar 14y ago
    HN commenters are just people like you and me. They care about people like themselves more than people not like themselves. To HN commenters, Uber's founders are like them and taxi drivers aren't. Of course they're going to side with the company here.
    - Shivetya 14y ago
      I have gone through my life with one rule, anyone who is providing me a service I address by Sir or Ma'am. I do not care if its the order taker at McDonalds, the register operator at Wal-Mart, or my Doctor. They are people performing jobs whose service I need or may need, I respect anyone out there earning a living for themselves and their families. For myself it puts everything in perspective, we are all trying to make it in this world and there is nothing to gain by disparaging the position of others. There are times where I really like the people at McDonalds than those I work for, the pretentiousness at times is discouraging.

bmmayer1 14y ago

I had a Sidecar driver this afternoon who told me he was suspended by Uber after he had the bad luck to get Travis Kalanick as a passenger, and failed to pick him up on the right side of the street (according to him).

larrys 14y ago
"he had the bad luck to get" In fact all of these rating and ranking systems (as well as public commenting) cause businesses to have to expend excess time and energy to keep a small vocal percentage of customers happy for fear of backlash instead of concentrating on simply making a good or acceptable product that satisfies 95% of customers. I'm reminded of this sometimes when I read tripadvisor reviews where people go off because there is a bug in their room or the desk staff was having a bad day the particular day they arrived.

hackin247 14y ago

Time will tell how long union-strong industries can hold off tech disruption. This is just the beginning.

auctiontheory 14y ago

The combination of having a relatively low-skill and undifferentiated job (as a driver) and of having no employment protection (as a contractor) is unfortunate. I feel for these men, but I think their best choice is to find other employment - this protest will lead nowhere.

philip1209 14y ago

I just got back from San Francisco, where I used Uber for the first time (and continued to use it throughout the trip). I talked to all of the drivers and they seemed quite happy - all had been using the service for over a year, and they had been in the limo business for five to eight years each. They said that now all of their business comes through Uber. However, one stated that there has been a huge increase in Uber drivers, thus making it more difficult to keep busy. I think that some driver backlash is a normal part of growing, and that Uber should maintain strict quality control.

tlrobinson 14y ago

I've used Uber a lot over the past 2 and a half years. I've made a point to ask nearly every driver how they liked the service and I can only recall one (out of dozens) giving anything but praise. So yeah, does not compute, unless things have drastically changed recently.

nostromo 14y ago

You know what killed uber for me? Car2Go. That's what these drivers should be worried about. Wait until it's in SF. This company is going to change the world, even before the driving part is automated.

realdlee 14y ago
I've used Car2go a lot and would like to see it in SF, but the tighter parking situation in SF worries me. It's annoying when you're paying by the minute and you have to drive around for 30 minutes looking for parking.
jarek 14y ago
car2go, particularly the all-electric networks, is the closest thing we have right now to the electric self-driving roaming taxis that is HN's future of transportation wet dream. There's tons of interesting data in their API about where people go and how people use the cars if you take a bit of effort to mine it. But the coverage on HN is minimal (exactly 26 hits on HNsearch right now) because it's not in SF or NYC or Boston.

salman89 14y ago

Are taxi drivers unionized? If so, what we might be seeing here with Uber is the reason why they are unionized.

brunorsini 14y ago

I've been a heavy Uber user in SF since they started. I was first in line when they launched Uber X, then Uber cab. I then saw Lyft and Sidecar rise in the city and, honestly, do to Uber in a single month what Uber took about a year to do to the taxi industry. Lyft drivers are more friendly and totally trustworthy. The service is cheaper and there are a bunch of cars all around town. Why use Uber anymore, unless all Lyfts/Sidecars are taken? To me this is clearly what this is about. Uber is already being disrupted, so they are desperate to lower their costs to be able to compete again. As a guy who literally gave up vehicle ownership just because of these services, all I can say is god bless startup darwinism.

erso 14y ago

“They’re running a sweatshop with an app." Guys riding around in air-conditioned cars all day calling their working conditions a sweatshop. What if Uber can't actually pay them what they want? Is the solution to force Uber to not fire any drivers, to pay them more than they're able? And by what insane reasoning should they be forced to pay more? Uber isn't owned by the government, and isn't the sole dispatcher around (and certainly not in SF!). If Uber's business model can't support paying the drivers more than there's nothing that can be done except for the drivers that don't like the conditions to quit. If that means that Uber then goes out of business, so be it. No amount of protesting is going to fix that.

n3rdy 14y ago
This is typical when employees try to shake down their employer. They exaggerate their working conditions, and ignore the financial circumstances behind a companies actions.

larsberg 14y ago

The major complaint I hear about Uber from Chicago taxi drivers (I like to chat when in a cab) is that Uber only pays them after 10 days. They have to pay weekly rent on their cab, though, which means they can only use Uber when they already have enough money to pay the rent.

Kiro 14y ago

Uber's history is filled with so many scandals and I urge everyone to boycott them.

c0mpute 14y ago

A very interesting dilemma as a consumer/customer. I am sure out of the many fired some are legit firings - drivers not respectful or just not good enough. And similarly some who have been short changed by customers giving bad reviews. So here is my dilemma, wearing the customer hat - if this move by Uber guarantees me that every time I hail a Uber cab, I am guaranteed to get a 4.7 star experience in the minimum (ya sometimes not, but on an average yes). So why wouldn't I want that as a customer? Now if I wear the hat of a sympathetic human, I can probably see some injustice if I sift through all the firings. So how can we hold Uber accountable? Being a realist, sometimes one has to understand that many systems don't have equality and maybe in this case the injustice/inequality benefits the Uber customers.

trvlngwlbry 14y ago

I was surprised to go through these comments (including with a command-F) and not find mention of the recent news of the Uber driver charged with raping a customer. While that story was pretty damaging to Uber, it was equally--if not more—-damaging to the arguments made by the protesting drivers. The rape incident is exactly the type of thing that Uber is trying to prevent by being so strict with its drivers (though, admittedly, a rape could still have occurred with a highly-rated driver). For PR reasons, Uber understandably does not want to point out that bad event, but it would be pretty compelling if they said something like, "Drivers, even if it was just one driver who ruined it for all of you, your bad behavior has forced our hand. We have to do everything we can to protect our customers."

scott_meade 14y ago

I was surprised to see the phrase "Uber Drivers". As I thought I understood it: Uber has no drivers and drivers haver their own companies, simply using Uber as a source of leads for customers. It's like OpenTable for cars, right?