Running in San Francisco, California, with its operations in 528 cities worldwide, Uber Technologies Incorporation is one of the largest online transportation companies that is favored by many people.
However, as the saying goes that a company can only grow if it treats its employees well hardly seems to be followed by this organization. Uber has always acknowledged its drivers as partners rather than employees. The drivers feel it is a daily struggle of discontentment that hovers over them.
On December 2015 the Seattle’s City Council voted collectively to allow Uber drivers the ability to form unions that would allow them to bargain over unfavorable working conditions and underpay. However, Uber is trying with all its might to discourage the drivers from forming unions and forcing them to listen to its anti-union propaganda.
What Created The Upsurge?
The upsurge amongst the drivers took place as Uber is not willing to take the responsibility for their welfare and benefit. Uber is playing safe by keeping the drivers as partners so that the company does not have to bear added cost for their medical insurances, vehicle-related issues or maintenance cost.
In April 2016, Uber had to pay near about $84 million to settle lawsuits that were filed in California and Massachusetts. The lawsuit had over the 385,000 plaintiffs who wanted Uber to take the drivers as employees in the company.
It seems that this tussle is the latest challenge that the company has to face for having Uber’s independent contractor model. By not having to worry about the drivers and its expenses, the company is offering a steady stream of rides and flexible work timing to its fellow “employees” or “partners” as Uber regularly refers its drivers.
How Are The Drivers Planning To Protest: Unionization?
The Teamsters labor union along with the support of several Uber drivers in Seattle reportedly claims that it has no interest in negotiating the fixed schedules. All it is trying to say is that the drivers strongly feel that Uber’s features are misguiding and misleading.
The fact that was put up by these Uber drivers highlight that the company is playing smart by talking about flexibility. The organization is creating a distraction by speaking flexibility that it provides to its drivers and the drivers may lose it due to unionization.
Uber’s Anti-Union Propaganda
Uber executives are trying to dissuade drivers from forming a union. In order to discourage the drivers, the company has started a podcast program where the drivers need to listen to it religiously every day before starting the rides. Listening to the podcast is mandatory as the driver cannot start his ride without listening to the same.
It also sends text messages and invites to these people for regular meetings and gatherings and convinces to cancel unionization plans. According to reports, the company is doubling down on efforts to discourage the Settle drivers from forming the unionization.
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