Ever ridden in a Taxi? Most of them are smelly, the driver a lot of times isn’t very nice and it costs way more than it should. A smart man said, “How can we change this?” and the brilliant company of Uber came to be.
Uber is probably the largest ride sharing company in the world. If you have never tried them, definitely do next time you need a ride. Uber was created with the idea that regular people could use their vehicle to give other people rides and earn extra money. Everything is taken care of from an app on your phone. The best parts are no cash or money exchanged at time of pick up or drop off and GPS locations give you the closest drivers to you. This means it is fast, convenient, and cheap. It is amazing and one of the reasons taxis are disappearing.
The business model Uber uses makes drivers “independent contractors” to the company. That means the drivers get to take part in being a ‘self-driven’ entrepreneur (get it?). They make their own hours, utilize their personality to increase tips, and get tax benefits that would not be available to them as employees. Their effort and commitment directly affects the amount of money they make, which is great. It is the best model for the company, customers, and people trying to make a part-time or full-time income.
I wanted to explain what Uber was so you can understand the idiocy taking place in certain cities. New York City drivers of Uber and similar companies have recently come up with the idea that they need to unionize. They believe that Uber needs to have a drivers union to promote livable wages, benefits, hours, overtime, and other details that normal employees get. They are missing the point! They misunderstand the fact this is not a typical job, and it was never meant to be. These ride sharing companies were created to give people the option to extra make money using their own car and efforts. If you want guaranteed wages and benefits go work for a taxi company or McDonalds.
I understand that there are always things that can improve between these companies and their drivers. Uber is now a billion dollar company and for good reason. Uber was smart and settled for an “independent drivers guild” instead of a union. This gives the drivers a voice without the ball and chain of a union. Now, I know unions are a good thing for certain professions and in certain circumstances. A few hard working people I know that have dealt with unions hate them, and say that they make terrible employees hard to fire. That is just their opinion; I have no first hand experience of that. The union model does not fit an Uber style company period.
New York drivers you are missing the point. You are losing the benefit of what Uber has provided you. The point is to create something where you can own your time, make money on your own terms, and do something that matters to people. When you are done working you just shut off the app. You don’t have to answer to a boss. You can do this without having to put up any of your own money; you just need the transportation to do it. It is a brilliant system. This is the way the world is moving whether you like it or not. The days of a guaranteed job and wage is disappearing. There is no security in a union workforce, just the security you are willing to go out and make for yourself. Appreciate the fact that things like Uber exist for you to take advantage of and make money on your terms.
Also keep in mind, those new self-driving cars are in the works, and I feel the more you push the faster you will be fighting to unionize somewhere else.
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Chris Lengle Productions 