More Power To Drivers-For-Hire, O'Brien Says

Drivers-for hire are being given a Lyft. You might even say they could soon be Uber-powerful.

Seattle City Councilmember Mike O’Brien says he’ll introduce legislation to give them the right to bargain for better pay.

TRANSCRIPT

The proposal would boost the bargaining power of drivers for Uber, Lyft and other ride-sharing companies, as well as those in the traditional taxi business.

Driver: “So guess where I’m going!"

Adolph: “Where?”

This is my Uber driver, who doesn’t want to give her name.

Driver: “I’m going to Seattle city hall. They want to let Uber drivers be unionized.”

Adolph: “Oh really?! OK!”

Actually that’s not quite right. The point is, these drivers can’t unionize because they’re not employees, they’re independent contractors. Councilmember Mike O’Brien says they need the power to bargain for better pay.

O’Brien: “When workers have the right to collectively bargain, they’re much more adept at finding conditions that make sense for them, and I believe the whole industry benefits from that.”

Ride-sharing apps often compete with one another by changing their rates, and that can cut drivers’ take-home pay.

Many of these drivers are immigrants who are learning English. Fasil Teka is with the App-Based Drivers Association. He says it’s hard for the drivers to fight back on their own.

Teka: “That's why we need the city or the new legislation to help most people who doesn’t speak, and myself and some of the people who speak, we goes out and fight for the others.”

But it may cost more to get a lift in this town. Like here, in South Lake Union, where people are used to reaching for their smartphones for most anything they need.

Nathan Whitson says higher fares won’t change his use of Uber.

Whitson: "No, I think I’d still use it.”

Adolph: “Why?”

Whitson: “Convenience. Yeah, the convenience of the app."

An Uber spokesman came to town for O’Brien’s news conference and issued a statement that did not reveal its plans. O’Brien says he expects a legal challenge.

I’m Carolyn Adolph, KUOW News.