Uber Drivers Union and Why they should Unionize

uber drivers network

Uber drivers are going Union

• Why the Uber drivers want to Unionize – The reasons the drivers list for their desire to unionize are very similar to most workers who join unions; exploitive practices by employers, including unfair pay, arbitrary firing policies, and in the case of Uber drivers claims of racial discrimination.
Another major concern of Uber drivers everywhere is liability insurance. Currently, Uber requires the drivers to bear the responsibility  and expense) of liability insurance. This is a big deal financially since regular personal  liability does not cover a driver or vehicle being used in a rid-for-hire situation. The cost for commercial liability insurance is typically 3-4 times as much as personal liability insurance, forcing some drivers to choose between quitting Uber or driving around under insured or even not insured at all.
The driver rating system has also come under fire. Uber drivers get rated by their passengers, which is normally not a problem. The thing is, the current system does not allow drivers to challenge bad reviews, such as negative reviews from drunk passengers who file inaccurate, and undeserved, negative reviews. It has also been said that unscrupulous drivers will sabotage other drivers’ ratings by having bogus negative reviews submitted either by themselves or by people they hire to ride in and negatively review other drivers’ performance.
By unionizing, the drivers hope to be able to address, and correct, many of these issues.

• The Teamsters Union is lending a hand – The International Brotherhood of Teamsters is one of the largest, most powerful , and well known unions in the world. With their immense resources and vast experience, they will be a formidable adversary for Uber to do battle with.  A recent demonstration by over 500 Uber drivers  in front of the Santa Monica CA Uber offices made headlines throughout California and throughout the rest of the country as well.

• Ubers response to the drivers efforts to Unionize – Uber claims that the drivers are not employees but rather are software licensees, and thus do not constitute a legal bargaining unit and so are not eligible for membership in the Teamsters, or any, union. This sleazy tactic has been used before by slave driving, selfish companies who don’t seem to care about the happiness or welfare of their drivers or employees.
 An Uber spokesperson recently told a reporter from VentureBeat that “If an Uber driver wants to make a change they can talk to us directly- they don’t need a bogus organization like this to do that”.   It is exactly this kind of arrogant, selfish attitude which is rapidly eroding the public image Uber presents and causing drivers to unite and unionize. Exploitation of this type has been attempted, and declared illegal many times in the history of labor relations in the United States. It often happens that rival companies in the same trade will emerge with a business model more favorable to the workers and drive companies like Uber out of business entirely. If that should happen to Uber it will be exactly what they deserve for so blatantly and greedily disregarding the rights of the very drivers who have put them in the position to be valued at billions of dollars. The day of the capitalistic robber barons has long passed, and it is high time that invasive parasites like the people running Uber are made to conform to the law of the land just like every other business in America is required to do.  California Lawsuits – A number of lawsuits currently pending in the California legal system will help to determine the future of the drivers’  union status, and the future of Uber  itself; California Assembly Bill 2293, for instance, addresses the liability insurance issue and is being steadfastly opposed by Uber. With an estimated value exceeding 18 Billion dollars, Uber can and does retain powerful legal guns to oppose these court challenges. Only time will tell who will prevail- justice and fairness or money and clout. Hopefully Uber will be forced to adopt practices that are both legal and ethical and begin treating their drivers more fairly in the future. This would include addressing issues such as job security, liability insurance, false promises made to recruit new drivers and all of the other topics which have garnered Uber negative headlines all across the nation.

Conclusion – With the powerful Teamsters union on their side, and the spate of legal challenges cropping up in California and elsewhere across the nation, many feel  that it is only a matter of time until the drivers prevail against Uber and get accepted as a union organization.  Historically the courts in California and in other states as well have sided on the side of the employee (A district court in Frankfurt Germany even went as far as to ban Uber from operating anywhere in Germany for infringing on the operation of legit, legal cabs. After nearly a month an appellate court eventually lifted the ban due to a legal technicality). If this prediction of redemption for the drivers and unions becomes a reality, it will undoubtedly change the playing field, and force Uber to play fairly or get out of the ride for hire business altogether. There is little doubt that Lyft drivers are soon to follow with lawsuits and unionization attempts of their own if the Uber drivers prevail in their attempt to be treated fairly. I for one cannot wait for this day of reckoning to come!

please watch this:

Uber,- Insurance and Integrity Problems

Uber is up to it's old tricks again, advertising 'facts' that are not even close to being 100% factual. In this case Uber claims that they perform background checks that exceed the checks performed by conventional taxi companies, and they also  claim to have 1 million dollar per incident liability insurance. A recent NBC investigative report from a San Francisco TV station exposes the fallacy of these claims.

  It turns out that when you ride in an Uber car, you are typically not covered at all, neither by the drivers personal insurance nor by any insurance whatsoever from Uber. If you incur any injury while riding, or crashing, in an Uber car, you or your family will be stuck paying the entire medical bill yourself. This type of expense, potentially hundreds of thousands of dollars, could of course bankrupt even a well to do person. 

The insurance that private drivers carry does not cover the car, or the driver, if the car is being used professionally to provide transportation for hire. This kind of coverage requires commercial insurance, the type required by law in conventional taxi's and limo services. This commercial insurance is
significantly more costly than standard personal coverage, and to purchase this kind of insurance would render the driving of an Uber car economically unfeasible.

As for Ubers claim regarding extremely thorough criminal background checks, it seems that Uber is not being totally honest with their claims in this area either. They are clearly not more exhaustive than those required for legitimate taxi companies, and there is some question as to whether Uber performs any criminal background checks at all. NBC reports that they found drivers with criminal histories not only in San Francisco, but also in LA and Chicago. These drivers, some of whom were still on probation, had past convictions that include burglary, assault, and drug trafficking charges.  NBC even went as far as to have undercover felons apply for employment, and Uber hired them without question.

 Given these facts, I would not want my wife, child, or other loved ones to ride in an uninsured car
with a convicted felon which may very well be the case with an Uber ride. I'll stick with the traditional taxi companies who are required, by law,  to have proper insurance and also required by law to conduct a thorough background check performed by an accredited agency.

The truth about UBER,- video

Four Myth’s That Uber is Spreading

Myth #1 – Uber is a Tech company

Uber is nothing more than a new way to dispatch taxi cabs. All of the “ride sharing” propaganda is just that;the fact is when you order a ride for an agreed upon price to a specific destination, you are acting as a taxi cab. Simply calling your taxi service a “ride sharing service” does not make it  a new and revolutionary product. As the classical wisdom says “ If it looks like a duck, and quacks like a duck” then it is most likely a duck. Uber’s claim to be a tech company providing a software service is just a very transparent attempt by the billion dollar company to avoid acting like a responsible business instead of a shifty, fly by night outfit. Uber is using this flimsy excuse to bilk local governments out of millions of dollars in revenue while lining their own pockets with Billions of dollars in ill-gotten profits. One day soon the hand of fate will deal the crushing blow to Uber, and I for one think it will be fitting and proper when it does finally happen! Uber has been making profit at the expense of honest, hard workibg people long enough and it is high time that it stops.

Myth#2- Uber and it’s drivers carry adequate insurance

Time and time again Uber drivers have been involved in accidents, including accidents that involve serious injuries and deaths, and Uber has consistently denied any responsibility or liability in these cases. Their claim of fully insured cars and drivers have been proven false time and time again as Uber drivers are involved in accidents and left to fend for themselves when it is time to appear in court. More than one Uber driver has had their lives ruined because of the company’s refusal to stand behind their drivers when the chips are down. A drivers personal insurance will not cover any injury or damage that occurs to the driver, his car, or the other party’s car or occupants because their personal policy specifically excludes any situations where the car is being used for commercial purposes. This has been the unanimous opinon of every sing insurance company involved in such a case, and has also been unanimously upheld by every court these cases have come before. Once again, it is the driver, and sometimes the other party’s in the accident, that end up paying the sometimes heavy price for Uber’s total disregard for decent and responsible corporate behavior. If you drive for, or ride in, an Uber car you are taking a very serious risk that could result in millions of dollars of debt as well as serious personal injury or even death. Do not be mislead by the outright falsification Uber presents regard the insurance issue, they have proven over and over again that they do not stand behind anyone and are only out to make a quick , and dishonest dollar.

Myth#3- Taxi laws do not apply to Uber ?

 – Despite Ubers claims of “not being in the transportation business” , and thus exempt to the rules and regulations governing the taxi industry, lawmakers across the country are realizing exactly what Uber is up to and are enacting laws to force Uber to play fairly.The fact is that Abe Lincoln was right when he said “ You can fool all of the people some of the time, or you can fool some of the people all of the time, but YOU CAN’T FOOL ALL OF THE PEOPLE ALL OF THER TIME. Uber has been playing their little game of legal cat and mouse for too long and in too many places and their house of cards is begging to rapidly fall. In the end of course it will be the drivers who suffer for Uber’s reprehensible tactics, just as it always has been their drivers who bear the brunt of the punishment for Uber’s transgressions. This abhorable, cheating organization will get what it deserves in the end, of that we can be certain.

Myth#4-  Uber drivers are thoroughly screened ?

- Murders, rapists, and undesirables of every description have been able to find employment with Uber. Apparently Uber’s “thorough screening” process is just like their “adequate insurance coverage”, a deliberate and brazen lie concocted to allow them to take unfair advantage of the legitimate, established taxi and limo companies by usurping the spirit, and the letter, of  local laws and regulations. Little, if any, screening of applicant is done, and certainly nothing even close to the rigorous and thorough legal screening required for taxi companies in virtually every municipality in America. If you are a shady character with a long criminal history, you need look no farther than Uber for your next job. Uber drivers have been accused, and convicted, of every crime you can think of, including sexual offenses, assault, and even murder. The shame of it is that it is Uber’s unsuspecting customers that ultimately pay the price for Uber’s disregard for their safety.

UberX expanding its operation to Toronto Canada on pile of BS and Lies

Well it looks like Uber is continuing their expansion  policy, this time riding their magic carpet of lies and deceit into the beautiful Canadian city of Toronto, Ontario. Toronto is the largest city in Canada, and is also the provincial capital of Ontario. Now it is the arena where an oft repeated scam is about to unfold.

Using the all too familiar practice of paving their way into a new city with an onslaught of bogus claims and false advertising, Uber hopes to exploit the good people and local government of Toronto as it has across the United States and much of Canada. Grossly exaggerated claims of income, and outright lies regarding safety concerns and insurance policies are being proffered in Toronto as a matter of policy.  Uber has been using this method of moving into cities for several years now and they have refined the process into a highly effective one; They lur in hundreds of drivers with their unsubstantiated claims of outrageous earnings and low hours, while at the same time placating the local government with empty promises about safety and insurance concerns. It is a strategy that has served them well, and the billion dollar industry that has sprung up in their wake is motivating other illegal and unsafe copycat organazations. Lyft and Sidecar are two such outfits, and they invariably follow Uber when Uber infects a new city much like jackals follow lions to share in their kill. It is only a matter of time before honest, hard working drivers in the Toronto area start to come forward with stories of how Ubers dishonest and illegal practices have left the without a car, a job, or even a place to live. Uber drivers who are involved in accidents often lose their car, go deeply into debt after being sued, and are unable to find work as a result of their damaged driving record. Uber tells prospective drivers that they will be fully insured and that their lives and their personal safety are priorities at Uber, only to find that these are absolute falsehoods and that Ubers only true priority is the almighty dollar. Ubers rise from obscurity to fabulous wealth has been paid for by the pain and misery of the very employees that made that success possible. By the time the Toronto authorities catch on to Ubers treachery and finally put a stop to it, many hundreds of people will have had their lives irreversibly ruined as a result of choosing to drive for these scoundrels.

Uber drivers are not the only group to suffer as a result of Ubers abhorable practices; due to weak, and often non-existance criminal  background checks, the general population will be at risk as they get into cars being driven by drug dealers, thieves, even murderers and rapists. Innocent consumers, who’s only crime has been to use a new and purportedly safe alternative to traditional transportation options have suffered pain, financial harm, and even death due to Ubers lack of social responsibility and professional ethics. While they are claiming in their current publicity blitz to conduct background screening that exceeds industry standards as well as Toronto licensing requirements, the fact is Uber will hire virtually anyone with a drivers license and a car that runs.

If you are a professional driver in Toronto and you are being tempted by all of the smoke and mirrors of the current Uber recruiting drive, please do yourself a favor and look for employment instead at legitimate taxi and limo companies. These companies are regulated by the local Toronto municipal and civic codes, and are much more reliable and conscientious than Uber. They provide their drivers with safe, insured, company owned taxis and they insure both the car and the driver at all times. Of course, if you are a criminal, or have a poor driving record and a history of safety violations, you may want to consider working for Uber or one of the other ride-share outfits  because you will not be able to pass the criminal background check nor meet the high standards that the legal, conventional transportation companies adhere to.  Uber is setting up shop in Toronto, and if past experience is any teacher, there are going to be a lot of disappointed drivers and eventually a lot of outraged citizens and lawmakers that will soon see that Uber is not playing fair. The world is becoming increasingly aware that these ride-share scams are just that, scams, and are not living up to their promises, and are once again lying and cheating their way to financial success. Don’t be fooled, don’t become a pawn in this tragic game of bait and switch. Whether you are a driver or a customer, the hidden risk that lies behind the whole ride sharing concept is simply too big of an issue to ignore just to save a little bit of time or money;in the long run, you may lose in a big way

The Effects of Taxi Driving on Your Health & How to Improve Your Health

by Danielle Antosz

Tampa Bay taxi drivers have a tough job. While sitting down and driving a car all day might not be as physically demanding as, say, a construction job, it can still wreak havoc on your health. What is even worse is that many taxi drivers do not have health insurance or paid sick days. If you drive a taxi it is up to you to cover your health costs - even if your poor health is caused by your job.

The Effects of Driving a Tampa Bay Taxi on your Health

The fact is Tampa taxi drivers often spend as many as 12 hours a day sitting down while working a high stress job. This type of lifestyle is terrible for your health. In fact, medical studies show that sitting down for most of the day increases the chance that you will die by over 50%. Add the stress of the job and a poor diet eaten on the run, taxi drivers are at a serious risk of heart attack or stroke. So what can you do to improve your health? You don’t need to overhaul your entire lifestyle – even just a few small changes to your day will make you happier and healthier.

Eat Better

The poor diet of many taxi drivers is only part of the problem, but is still very important. First, you need to eat less junk food. It is awfully convenient to drive through during a quick break, but try packing a light lunch a few times a week. Even a sandwich and a few chips are better than a greasy burger and salty fries. Also, try substituting water for soda or coffee. Water contains less calories and also helps flush toxins from your system.

Get Exercise!

As humans we are not meant to be sedentary. Our bodies are designed to walk, hunt, and run. Sitting behind a steering wheel all day increases your stress level, causes heart problems, and results in weight gain. But, you don’t have to spend hours pumping iron at the gym. The Mayo Clinic says that a daily brisk walk can help you maintain a healthy weight, improve your mood, strengthen your bones, and help prevent heart disease, diabetes and high blood pressure.

Take a Vacation

If you are a taxi driver, you know how stressful the job can be. And without paid vacation time, taking time off can be difficult. Think of it as an investment in your future – taking a few days off to relax (along with a few other lifestyle changes!) can result in better health for years to come.
Driving a taxi is not an easy job – drivers deal with long hours, high stress, and most drivers eat a poor diet. If you drive a taxi, it is important to take the time to take care of yourself. For your friends, and all those who love you.

Taxi and Limo Insurance for Saint Petersburg, Tampa, Clearwater, Sarasota

White Hoskins Cook Insurance Agency is an independent Insurance Agency, founded in 1956. With over 55 years of experience, we are committed to finding the best insurance solutions for you, your family, and your business. White Hoskins Cook Agency is located in St Petersburg, Florida and services Florida's Sun Coast.....


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Health Insurance for Taxi drivers

Tampa Bay, Florida
Tampa Bay News: Extend health coverage to those who need it

They could be your neighbors. People who go to work every day in Florida — painting houses, opening the bakery, driving a taxi, waiting tables, working at a day care or running a small mom-and-pop business that's barely breaking even. • It could be you. • These are the faces of uninsured people in our state, of working Floridians who don't receive health insurance through their job and don't earn enough to buy coverage for themselves. • Too many of them have put off medical checkups and screening tests because they can't afford them, only to discover during a visit to the ER that they have an advanced disease that could have been caught earlier. Too many have learned the hard way that health is connected to your ability to work, and a vicious cycle begins when serious illness goes untreated......