California Labor Federation

4.24 Talking Points

Workers are Sick of Gig Company Greed that Puts Workers, Public at Risk -- #SickofGigGreed

• The #COVID19 crisis has put the gig companies’ greed and negligence on full display -- and given even greater urgency to the call for them to follow the law and stop putting workers at risk.

• As the #COVID19 crisis grows, gig workers have been thrust into the epicenter of the health threat from the virus and economic freefall from the shutdowns of public life.

• Wealthy and powerful gig companies like , Lyft, DoorDash, and Instacart refuse to follow the law that requires them to treat rideshare drivers, grocery shoppers and other workers who are the mainstay of their business as employees. In this crisis, breaking the law puts gig workers’ lives at risk - and the public they serve.

• With #COVID19 spreading, gig workers are rapidly becoming first responders: on the frontlines of providing transportation and delivering essential goods. Because of the gig companies’ greed, Lyft and Uber drivers, drivers, and grocery shoppers have no paid time off, no health insurance, no unemployment insurance, no safety training -- no safety net to cope with the fallout of this crisis.

• Even as gig workers are dealing with the catastrophic - and potentially life-threatening fallout of the crisis - Uber has doubled down on its attacks on the very workers who are on the frontlines. Uber's CEO told Wall Street the crisis is proof that the company’s strategy to keep workers unstable is good business - no matter the human consequences.

• As stay-in-place orders continue, we are relying on the gig workers on the front lines to deliver groceries and food, and even transport sick people to the hospital.

Gig Companies Shirking Responsibility to Fund/Provide Unemployment Insurance

• Massive gig companies haven’t paid a single dime to our state’s unemployment insurance (UI) fund for drivers and shoppers, making it more difficult for workers to access UI benefits and depleting the fund of vital resources all workers need in this economic crisis

• Gig companies are even denying the claims of workers who have filed for UI, delaying workers from getting checks they desperately need to pay rent, put food on the table and provide other basic necessities for their families.

• ’s UI fund is severely stressed. Millions of new claims have come in over the last month. While responsible employers have been funding UI to sustain it in times of crisis, Uber, Lyft, Instacart, Doordash and other gig companies refuse to comply with the law to pay their fair share for UI, putting all workers at grave risk. • We need a sustainable UI fund now more than ever. We demand that gig companies comply with the law by immediately contributing to the state’s UI fund so their own workers – and all workers – can get the benefits they so desperately need to weather this crisis.

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Use Ballot Measure $$ To Support Drivers

• Uber, Lyft, Postmates and Doordash have stockpiled $110 million in PAC account to fund a November 2020 ballot initiative aimed at denying drivers basic protections like a minimum wage, paid sick days and proper safety equipment that all workers deserve.

• The gig corporation measure allows these companies to continue rig the rules in their favor, allowing them to shirk their responsibility to pay their fair share for unemployment insurance, Social Security, Medicare and other social safety need services we all need.

• We’re in a crisis. It’s no time for wealthy and powerful corporations to be hoarding cash for a political campaign. These companies need to immediately drain that account and provide direct relief to drivers who are struggling to stay in their homes and keep food on the table.

• Drivers demand the companies immediately drop this harmful measure and use those millions to provide direct relief to workers.

Stop Putting Workers at Risk

• The so-called benefits Uber and Lyft have offered are a PR stunt, not a safety net for drivers. Workers can only *ask* for up to 14 days pay if they have been diagnosed with COVID-19 or individually ordered to quarantine. Without employer provided health care, with the backlog of testing and hospitals expected to soon be overwhelmed, this is little reassurance. What’s more, they can’t take paid time to care for a sick or quarantined family member.

• The gig companies refuse to provide drivers and shoppers still on the job with any equipment or supplies needed to keep them safe. No hand sanitizer. No disinfectant wipes. No masks. By refusing to take worker safety seriously, these companies put drivers and the public they are serving at grave risk.

• Drivers and other gig workers call on Uber and Lyft to provide 14 days of paid leave to anyone affected by the outbreak, personal protective equipment to keep drivers safe on the road, safety equipment and supplies, and a clear protocol in case of COVID-19 exposure, including free COVID-19 screenings to all drivers.

Our demands to support gig workers and all workers in this crisis

• Immediately follow the law of the land - AB 5 - and classify gig workers as employees so workers can get the basic protections they desperately need.

• Provide 14 days of paid leave to all drivers, shoppers and other gig workers so they can have the flexibility they need to care for themselves and their families while not putting the public at risk.

• Immediately pay their fair share by contributing to the State’s unemployment insurance fund, Social Security and Medicare so that these critical safety net programs are there to support all workers

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• Provide personal protective equipment and supplies to keep drivers safe on the road or at our doorsteps

• Provide a clear protocol in case of COVID-19 exposure, including free COVID-19 screenings to all drivers/deliverers.

• Immediately drop the deceptive and harmful ballot measure that denies workers basic protections like a minimum wage, overtime pay and safety equipment and instead use the $110 million sitting in their PAC to provide direct support to workers.

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