That's ride on time: Lyft, Uber to continue taxi app service in Cali after appeals court hits pause on AB5 brouhaha

A California appeals court judge has granted a down-to-the-wire emergency stay on an injunction ordering Uber and Lyft to reclassify their ride-hailing app drivers as employees. That injunction was sought by Cali prosecutors to enforce AB5, a recent law that forces gig-economy companies to treat certain workers as employees, …

[HellDeskJockey]

I see they are getting out the big gun

Given how many people are going without automobiles these days. If they did shut down service I suspect an emergency stay would be up the next afternoon.

[Kevin McMurtrie]

Re: I see they are getting out the big gun

Taxis still exists and they have phone apps too.

[codejunky]

Re: I see they are getting out the big gun

@HellDeskJockey

"If they did shut down service I suspect an emergency stay would be up the next afternoon."

I dunno. Between common sense and ideology this is the state going through blackouts and water supply issues. I am not sure they would understand why the cost of transport would rise and people would be poorer.

[Anonymous Coward]

Send their CEO's to prison

For contempt of Court. It's the only fair thing to do. It's for the children.

[Anonymous Coward]

Awww....

You mean they might have to start treating their employees like *human* *beings* instead of meat input to the profit machine?

[big_D]

Typical

This is typical behaviour from "big IT", law? What law? We are IT, we don't need no damned laws!

[Neil Barnes]

So their illegally operating businesses will have to stop if the law isn't changed

And?

They're saying that they can't operate profitably without giving their employees the rights and benefits to which they are entitled by law, and that the only way they can continue to work is to continue to deny those rights?

I'm sure slave-owners had the same concerns... and the same amount of sympathy from me.

[Oh Matron!]

Re: So their illegally operating businesses will have to stop if the law isn't changed

Surely this highlights what such a flakey business model they both have, especially if Just Eat can move to reclassifying their "employees" https://www.bbc.com/news/business-53780299

[Spock2]

That's ride on time

That's their business model. They just walk right in - walk, walk, walk right in.

[Anonymous Coward]

Uber will find a way around it

The studio where my Pilates instructor (I live in Los Angeles, I have to have one, it's the law) works, was forced to make their instructors employees.

The owner limited the instructors' hours (preferring to cancel classes if she was short of instructors) so that they were not classified as full time thus avoiding having to cover healthcare, sick days and vacation time. Their pay was cut to offset the cost of the employment taxes. (I'm boycotting the place but since LA is back in lock down, I'm guessing she hasn't noticed.)

Given an oversupply of drivers, I can see Uber doing something similar.