Comments

1

"Nelson, who earlier in the meeting suggested the council should rush into giving cops thousands of dollars in hiring bonuses."

The "rush in" characterization is absurd. Hannah has been writing about this issue since at least November 2021. https://www.thestranger.com/slog/2021/11/01/62486023/durkans-25000-bonuses-for-cops-is-the-councils-problem-now

2

It’s a wonder anyone pays current prices to have someone deliver stuff that’s already pretty accessible to someone living in an urban area. I’m hoping more regulation drives out this needless market clogging up streets and wasting of fuel.

3

Delivery services have been making huge bank during the two years of the pandemic, because people simply haven't been motivated to leave their homes. Now that's changing, and they're desperately trying to cling to their golden goose, even while they know the purchasing habits of many of their customers are going to change as they start to get more comfortable with getting their own take out, or actually go dine in, especially as people start to have greater awareness of just how significant of a financial hit their favorite restaurants have been taking for the "privilege" of having someone making less than their own staff does roll up, grab some grub and drive it away. Add to that the higher operating costs of actually having to pay their drivers a "minimum wage" (not even remotely close to a "living wage", mind you) and they can see their cash cow starting to drain dry.

No wonder they're all in a panic, because, now that they're publicly traded companies, their shareholders are going to be screaming at them to "maximize value", and if they have to increase labor costs, and recognizing increasing delivery charges is likely to result in a net loss of customers, well, the money has to come out of somebody's pocket, and the only ones left are the execs in upper management.

To which I say: boo-fucking-hoo...

4

Funny how CEO pay or shareholder greed is never the cause of hurting business (and price increases), only having to pay the people who do all of the labor enough to actually live on without being homeless or receiving food stamps, etc.

5

How does the City have the authority to set pay for independent contractors? Or are the apps now conceding that their workers are employees? If so that would be the biggest part of this story by far.

6

@5 they are not setting pay they are just setting the minimum which is completely within their authority. They did this very thing for domestic workers back in 2018

https://sccinsight.com/2018/06/17/mosqueda-introduces-domestic-workers-bill-of-rights/

Time will tell if this actually helps or not. The labor market always adjusts to these interventions.

10

if they Hate it
they will
Come

11

I think having gig workers at min. wage, covered by L&I, Unemployment Comp., sick leave, paternity leave and deduct their social security benefits, Medicare tax and federal income tax is great. They should get the same benefits and have the same responsibilities as every tax payer. I

Why should they be free to negotiate their own compensation or offer their services at a lesser price than the rest of us who pay minimum wage.

Why should anyone be able to offer or price their labor at any price they want. This needs to be strictly controlled by the government. No individual has the right to price or sell at a price not set by the government.... its simply not fair... Hell its UnAmerican!

Its far, far better to have people not working than working for a wage or fee they feel is far.

12

I wonder .. who will do more carping about this issue.

The consumer, gig workers...or the "Gig Giants"?

Consumers will carp about the high prices of these services and reduce consumption.

Gig Giants will decry the loss of revenue, profits and market place restrictions.

Gig Workers... will see a significant decline in gig service demand as the price rises and the gig workers will have to find something else to do.... pretty sure they will be happy about that.

I wonder ....will anybody besides Hannah be happy at the end of the day?

15

Doordash, Uber Eats, etc are all built on the principle your a bunch of lazy SOBs..get off your butt and go by food at the store or pick up your food orders

16

The burger shack my kid works at does not accept any gig services. Their fees are usurious at both ends (customer and restaurant) and they can't deal with the menu as is, they need it reduced. Same for local ramen joint too.

17

@14 I read your blurp with great interest. Remarkable! I do have a few questions... as your recounting of things is well unprecedented.

Can you name the evil shareholders who forced you to sign documents without time to read them and who further chased away or denied you the use of a legal advisor?

I'm curious which series of classes at Business School teaches the "predatory course"?

It there a particular University which specializes in predatory studies?

Do you begin with ....How to be an evil predatory business 101?

Is there and advanced or graduate course in this area?

Your recounting of these matters is truly fascinating.

18

@15 no kidding. There is an entire class of services I lump together under a category I call: "Paying People to Do Shit You Can or Should Do for Yourself". I don't see how this business model can work for very long. On what world is running errands a well-paying career? That's what this is - running errands. If I was in a situation where I needed food picked up, I'd probably just ask a friend who needed some extra cash to do it for me. The two of us negotiate, we come to an agreement, and the person running the errand knows exactly how much they will make. But who knows? Maybe urban dwellers have become so friendless, so isolated that NO ONE has anyone to call for a simple favor. Hence delegating out things that a good friend might do for you in a pinch.

19

Looks like there is an opportunity for a delivery gig company, willing to take less than the lion's share, to start up with offers to pay their members their fair share since they are doing ALMOST ALL OF THE WORK. In fact, the job they're doing IS the business. It's time a union was created for gig workers on a serious level. These companies offered freedom from the greed of working a regular job along with versatility.

20

If someone is willing to pay, then it's a job. You don't get to decide that.

21

If you have to pay taxes, you should get at least a guaranteed minimum wage.

Not that gig workers should have to rely on this, but this is why I always tip at least 20 percent. If I can't get off my lazy ass to get my own food (and I admit, I have a lazy, lazy ass) then I should pay for the privilege.


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