News Apr 16, 2014 at 4:00 am

Meanwhile, the Company Says the Taxi Industry Is Fomenting Labor Unrest

Ermias Andebrehan is among the nearly 250 Uber drivers who say they need a union to improve working conditions at the company. Ansel Herz

Comments

1
'Right now, he claimed, communication with Uber management is "simply a one-way message—you accept it or you get kicked out."'

Funny, that's exactly how Uber's customer service works too. Meanwhile Seattle's taxi complaint hotline 206-296-TAXI is amazing.
2

Uber = A database + Android App

Don't like Uber?

Get an account here and build your own:

http://aws.amazon.com/
3
"In addition, the company says there's an appeal process for deactivation that includes a face-to-face meeting, through which they've brought many drivers back on board."

So they'll "deactivate" (fire) someone electronically, but that person then needs to come groveling in person to appeal the decision?

Where's the 'innovation' in that?
4
@1 Really? I've had nothing but prompt, friendly, and effective communication from Uber's customer service team on the few occasions that I've contacted them directly or (rarely) given a driver a review less than four stars.
5
Time for these drivers to join together and form a co-op. They should be in charge of their own destiny, not be pawns in the hands of billionaire California venture capitalists.
6
California!... Uber Alles.......
7
I love how folks are totally cool with Uber breaking all sorts of laws and regulations, just because they're from Silicon Valley.

You know, ignoring shit like like local taxes, background checks, calibration/certification of meters and so on. Sure, that stuff isn't as cool as a phone app but whatever, right?
8
@6

The are too stupid to be able pul something like off. There is a reason that their occupation is " drives car"

9
uber is an international company. 250 drivers in a city that has 2000 drivers won't do much when there is 100 cities. the drivers need to get together on the internet to come together and have their voices heard.

http://uberpeople.net A community forum for Uber drivers.
10
uber is an international company. 250 drivers in a city that has 2000 drivers won't do much when there is 100 cities. the drivers need to get together on the internet to come together and have their voices heard.

http://uberpeople.net A community forum for Uber drivers.
11
@5 and @7...A union IS a co-op for workers to join forces. Glad to see Uber drivers are getting some backbone. Uber won't like that, however, because it could cost them money. It amazes me, too, that lots of people think Uber/Lyft/Sidecar are so cool because they use an app that regulations, laws, taxes, and insurance in an industry that's been around forever and requires tight regulation because of the risks involved for everyone, do not need to apply. A cab company is a cab company. Whether they have an app, or not. Competition in a regulated industry needs to be fair for all participants. You can't ignore the rules and compete fairly.
12
Uber's shine has really worn off for me. At first I thought it was great, but after experiencing a couple of price gouging fare increases due to weather I've gone back to the good old cabs. An inch of snow in Denver shouldn't double the fare. Doubling the price in Manhattan because it's a Saturday night is also a deal breaker.
Sure, it's a nice app, but I'm less inclined to use Uber these days knowing that they're not playing by the same rules and oversights as the taxis. The taxi companies need to make an app like Uber's.
13
Good for them! Good luck to the drivers and good on 117 for supporting this campaign. And with respect to @5, YES. Worker ownership and self-determination is the best outcome and the way of the future, and organizing is a solid, concrete step toward that.
14
@4 Really? I've simply never heard back when I tried to report bugs in their mobile site (same bug, actually - a year apart) or asked about disabled access to the service.
15
The more I hear about Uber’s business practices, their insurance and the regulatory advantages they have over their competitors, the more the coolness of it has worn off. The “uber way or the highway” attitude they have really is a turn off. I’m sure if the city lifted the vehicle cap they have on taxi’s, they could come get us just as quickly.
16
@11, yep, all of that. Ooh, ooh, an app! Let's abandon (reasonable) regulations! :p

@12, Seattle's licensed taxi services do have an app now. It's called Flywheel and can be found here: http://flywheel.com/seattle

There's a 1$ service fee to call a ride, but no "surge pricing" or other surprises. It's available for Android & iOS.
17
I received an email telling me that I must pay $10 a week for the use of the phone I received to drive for Uber. I think this is a money grab by the company. I use my own phone while driving to find most customers because the address is usually not correct, sent by Uber to me. I pay $40 a month for my own phone. For Uber to charge me money to use their phone is obscene to me. I get no personal use out of it. I will quit driving if Uber insists on charging me to use their equipment. anybody else feel this way? We need to prevent Uber for stealing $520 a year from each driver, in my opinion.
18
DOES ANYONE really give a shit about any of this? I read the first 2 paragraphs and realized it was just another article stretched out to achieve MAXIMUM BORINGNESS an repetitive crap. HOW ABOUT SOME ACTUAL "INTERESTING" stories. wHO TOOK OVER THE STRANGER AND CHanged in into just a fancy version of "REAL CHANGE"?
Nothing in the Stranger is funny, absurd or interesting anymore!!
19
You want to feel like the ultimate loser, go work for Uber, Uber X to be exact. While for the passenger it is so incrediable because they are paying ridiculously low prices while the drivers are making nothing. Go get an $8-an hour job, believe me you will feel much better about yourself. This company is the worst demoralizing company I have EVER worked for. I will never, ever, ever look back at that low budget poorly run, piece of shit company EVER!!!!
20
Uber has a ton of problems. The only good side, if you want to look at anything that is working, if that, is the passengers ride for dirt cheap, under cutting the taxi cab rates, so who doesn't want a really good bargain but it comes out of the drivers expense to make a living if that. Uber doesn't give a rats ass about their drivers who make them the money. They send out emails to all drivers asking "how can we improve"? They must be deaf, dumb and blind if they can't fiqure that out for themselves. I am for the working man and woman. I have been blessed in this life to be O.K. but when a company abuses their employees and they can't get buy, I will stand behind them any day. Getting another job besides loser Uber, an $8-dollar an hour job, you will be better off then working for Uber. I know friends that have worked for Uber in San Francisco and they don't need to work, they just wanted to stay alittle busy but after seeing the mess and what is happening there, they got up and left. It is a disaster. Ubher is a slave driver type operation for the drivers that are working for them. They degrade their drivers with text messages that there job is on the line and your being close to being terminated even if your doing a great job. Uber is disgusting, period. They had there moment and now I see it going through a collapse because if they want to keep it going, it is the drivers Uber is going to have to put up alot more positive help for them to make a decent living or there will be huge problems coming there way. Uber is a demoralizing company to work for and if they imploded it wouldn't bother me at all. These companies that don't take care of their key people should never exsist and they usually don't last anyway...........
21
Everybody who works should be a union member. --- http://www.iwa-ait.org (A)
22
Wow! today I received a text message from Uber that they temporary de-activated my account due to recent complaints... So basically a drunken or hateful customer can ruin a driver just like that. The riders have your job in their hands!!
23
http://www.uberforum.com
24
1) After 1,000 drives, 2 1-star ratings will pull my ratings down 0.01 stars.
2) Chaz_D return your Uber phone and use your personal phone, I did.
3) How is that union thing working for taxi drivers? I thought unions brought us the 8 hour day decades ago, why not for taxi drivers too? When taxi companies stop charging $700 per week rent and allow for a shorter work day, I will reconsider driving a taxi.
4) There are Teamster boss making $300,000 $400,000 and one even more than $500,000 while the average taxi driver makes $12.79/hour.
5) All taxi drivers should be given a medallion after one year, so they need not be slave to the taxi companies, they have earned one.

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