Court Case Could Impact Uber, Lyft Drivers

Episode Transcript

(00:00):
But Jeff Monassos Fox News Radio,Good morning. Jeffrey, Hey, good
morning. I go to have youback here. Tell me about this case
and I mentioned it earlier. There'sa there's a court case in Massachusetts relative
to app based drivers like Uber andso on, door Dash that could ripple
across the country depending on how itgoes. What's that issue here? Yeah,

(00:23):
the future of companies like Uber andLyft could really hinge on the court
decisions in Massachusetts. The state SupremeCourt is said to hear arguments today over
whether to let dueling ballot measures gobefore voters this fall. That would essentially
redefine the relationship between app based anddrivers and companies like Uber, Lift,

(00:44):
door Dash, whose businesses helped fuelthe gig workers economy. So, you
know, one ballid question would beto allow app based drivers to be independent
contractors and not employees. The otherwould give the right for gig workers to
be able to unionize. Uber andLyft are also dealing with a civil lawsuit

(01:07):
in Massachusetts launched by the state thataccuses the companies of, you know,
dodging what state officials believe are unpaidworker compensations. Hundreds of millions of dollars
in unemployment benefits because the state believesthat these these gig workers should be be
treated as employees, and so shouldthe industry fail in courts, should these

(01:34):
companies fail in courts and at theballot box, Uber has already said that
it's riot failing services could end inMassachusetts. Reuters also citing studies that report
if gig drivers are treated as employeesthat you know, if you use these
services, you know Uberlyft, Jordan, that expenses and fees could rise by

(01:57):
up to thirty percent in this economy. And so we'll see Labor activists say
that victory for the companies in astate with some of the most employee friendly
laws can embolden them in other states. But if you look at Minneapolis,
Minnesota, the ride hailing companies Uberand Left, they they they're going to
they have plans to exit within thenext couple of months from that city after

(02:22):
city officials passed big government ordinances mandatingthat they pay drivers a lot more one
dollars forty per mile, fifty onecents per minute, or five dollars per
ride. Essentially, the change aimsto ensure that the companies pay drivers the
equivalent of the city's the city,not the state, but the city's minimum

(02:42):
wage fifty. This all started outin California, and to me, Jeff,
has always been a solution in searchof a problem. I mean,
what kind of the definition of agig economy is. I'm doing this on
the side. I can basically setmy hours and I can make some extra
money doing this. Leave me alone. You know, Is there any prediction

(03:02):
on how this will go? No, there really isn't. We'll see what
the court has to say. Andyou know they're they're weighing their options.
But you're right, I mean this, you know, Uber and Lyft is
often a side hustle for people tryingto make it and this would this would
create some problems for them. Butwe'll see. M good info, Jeff,

(03:27):
Thanks Jeff Bonasso, Fox News Radio. What Yeah, how many we
all know people and we see peoplethat deliver stuf to our door. You
get you get a ride, andthey're all they're all doing They're happy,
sure largely, Yeah, they're doingthis because they need extra money. And

(03:51):
but no, we've got the government. We need to tell you, mister
Lyft and mister Uber, how tooperate. You can what and if I'm
mister uber, why the hell can'tI hire somebody who wants to do this
as an independent contractor. I mean, every time some good idea pops up,
somebody else to ruin it. It'slike what Ronald Reagan said, the

(04:12):
words you never want to hear areHi, I'm from the government, and
I'm here to help. It isstaggering, sallary, but it also I
think this might cast a little bitof a brighter light on a huge problem
in our country, and that isunderemployment. You know, Joe Biden and
his talking heads on the left wingmedia and his people talk about all the
great jobs that have been created,Well, most of them are government jobs

(04:35):
to begin with. And secondly,the jobs that have been created are part
time. They do not have benefits, they don't come with benefits, and
it's extremely frustrating for young people andactually everybody to try and make ends meet.
When your healthcare costs are going up, your homeowner's insurance is going up,
your property taxes are going up.You're just the cost of everything from

(04:59):
a an orange to a gallon ofgas is up twenty to thirty percent and
nobody's and people keep telling us,how good things? Yeah, I know,
man, it's just leave us alone. I just want to work for
this company and they want me to. Could you just please leave us alone?
Oh no, this company will hireme so that I can help meet
my obligations from your policies.