Carl, that is exactally why is is rightfully said that the working class is
being squeezed into extinction by both the ruling and poor classes.
-----Original Message-----
From: blind-democracy-bounce@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
[mailto:blind-democracy-bounce@xxxxxxxxxxxxx] On Behalf Of Carl Jarvis
Sent: Monday, May 2, 2016 7:52 PM
To: blind-democracy@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
Subject: [blind-democracy] Re: A Little Nothing Extra From Uber
It's far past time for labor to re-organize unions. As the pressures are
increased on labor unions, and members are encouraged or threatened to leave
the ranks, wages remain in a slump and working conditions become dangerous.
It's hard to believe that working folk could be sweet talked into placing their
well being in the hands of the Boss.
Anyway, tips allow the boss to underpay employees, getting far more out of them
than they return in wages. Then they encourage the public to make up the
difference through tips, along with the social services that the low paid
employee receives. In fact, it represents an ugly side of Socialism. Only the
very poor and the poorly paid workers are eligible for such public support,
paid for by the better off working class. So not only is the Working Class
being fleeced by their Corporate Bosses, but they are double taxed by having to
spend part of their tax dollars on health and social services for those at the
bottom of the pit. This is money that might have gone to rebuild our
floundering public education, or repair our deplorable roads.
Carl Jarvis
On 5/1/16, Miriam Vieni <miriamvieni@xxxxxxxxxxxxx> wrote:
Excerpt: "The good news for Uber drivers is that a recent court
settlement will open the door to tipping, which will allow them to
supplement their modest pay. The bad news for Uber drivers is that a
recent court settlement will open the door to tipping, which is a
terrible, terrible way to compensate service workers for their
exertions. And unfortunately, Uber is showing little interest in
helping drivers and passengers work around this dilemma."
Uber ride sharing service has been dubbed part of the 'sharing economy.'
(photo: Bellingham)
A Little Nothing Extra From Uber
By The Boston Globe | Editorial
30 April 16
The good news for Uber drivers is that a recent court settlement will
open the door to tipping, which will allow them to supplement their modest
pay.
The bad news for Uber drivers is that a recent court settlement will
open the door to tipping, which is a terrible, terrible way to
compensate service workers for their exertions. And unfortunately,
Uber is showing little interest in helping drivers and passengers work
around this dilemma.
On April 21, the ride-hailing company agreed to pay up to $100 million
to drivers in Massachusetts and California who'd sued over being
classified as independent contractors. The settlement didn't resolve
the underlying issue, but it did include another provision that could
significantly alter the experience of Uber drivers and passengers
alike: The company stopped telling passengers that a tip is included
with its fees. Instead, it's now telling them that no tip is included
or required. In practice, this means that some drivers may post signs
seeking tips - but Uber is declining to build a tipping function into
its app.
Under the current circumstances, an app with no tip function becomes a
recipe for mutual resentment. Drivers who are scraping by on what Uber
pays them in fares will expect their passengers to help them out;
customers who like Uber because it saves them the trouble of carrying
cash will have to fumble around for bills. The fact that drivers and
passengers will be rating each other immediately afterward only makes
the exchange all the more awkward.
Shannon Liss-Riordan, the Boston labor lawyer who filed the suits,
argues that tipping has become a standard part of how workers get paid
in the service industry and that drivers should be able to make use of
it. Yet as a compensation practice, the tipping system stinks. Making
a service worker's pay contingent on the whims of individual consumers
has created countless distortions, abuses, and inequities within the
restaurant industry. Far better that restaurant servers - and Uber
drivers - simply be paid a reasonable base rate.
Let's face it: The base fares on Uber are low enough that, when the
receipt shows up in your e-mail inbox, you can't help but think you've
gotten away with something. You have to wonder how drivers cover their
maintenance and gasoline expenses. But Liss-Riordan says getting the
company to change its fare schedule wasn't an option. Maybe the new
drivers association that's also a part of the recent settlement will
prevail upon company officials to raise rates enough to spare everyone
the annoyance of a tip system. Hope springs eternal.
Failing that, Uber should make tipping as painless as possible for
everyone.
The company is taking a holier-than-thou approach, saying it wants no
part of a system fraught with conscious or unconscious racial bias.
The company cites studies saying white waitstaff in restaurants
receive greater tips than black waitstaff who provide equally good service.
But unless the company wants to increase its rates for everyone,
Uber's indignation would be better directed toward developing a fairer
system for tipping. It could ask customers to set a default tip rate
for all rides. It could develop incentive systems so that top-rated
drivers receive monetary rewards. In fact, Uber, with its vast store
of data and its ability to monitor user behavior, is in an excellent
position to devise an efficient system that gives drivers a little
more in their pockets and spares passengers the trouble of digging around in
theirs.
Error! Hyperlink reference not valid. Error! Hyperlink reference not
valid.
Uber ride sharing service has been dubbed part of the 'sharing economy.'
(photo: Bellingham)
https://www.bostonglobe.com/opinion/editorials/2016/04/29/little-nothi
ng-ext
ra-from-uber/JFAicL1c8GzuAiGKHpP2OI/story.htmlhttps://www.bostonglobe.
com/op
inion/editorials/2016/04/29/little-nothing-extra-from-uber/JFAicL1c8Gz
uAiGKH
pP2OI/story.html
A Little Nothing Extra From Uber
By The Boston Globe | Editorial
30 April 16
he good news for Uber drivers is that a recent court settlement will
open the door to tipping, which will allow them to supplement their modest
pay.
The bad news for Uber drivers is that a recent court settlement will
open the door to tipping, which is a terrible, terrible way to
compensate service workers for their exertions. And unfortunately,
Uber is showing little interest in helping drivers and passengers work
around this dilemma.
On April 21, the ride-hailing company agreed to pay up to $100 million
to drivers in Massachusetts and California who'd sued over being
classified as independent contractors. The settlement didn't resolve
the underlying issue, but it did include another provision that could
significantly alter the experience of Uber drivers and passengers
alike: The company stopped telling passengers that a tip is included
with its fees. Instead, it's now telling them that no tip is included
or required. In practice, this means that some drivers may post signs
seeking tips - but Uber is declining to build a tipping function into
its app.
Under the current circumstances, an app with no tip function becomes a
recipe for mutual resentment. Drivers who are scraping by on what Uber
pays them in fares will expect their passengers to help them out;
customers who like Uber because it saves them the trouble of carrying
cash will have to fumble around for bills. The fact that drivers and
passengers will be rating each other immediately afterward only makes
the exchange all the more awkward.
Shannon Liss-Riordan, the Boston labor lawyer who filed the suits,
argues that tipping has become a standard part of how workers get paid
in the service industry and that drivers should be able to make use of
it. Yet as a compensation practice, the tipping system stinks. Making
a service worker's pay contingent on the whims of individual consumers
has created countless distortions, abuses, and inequities within the
restaurant industry. Far better that restaurant servers - and Uber
drivers - simply be paid a reasonable base rate.
Let's face it: The base fares on Uber are low enough that, when the
receipt shows up in your e-mail inbox, you can't help but think you've
gotten away with something. You have to wonder how drivers cover their
maintenance and gasoline expenses. But Liss-Riordan says getting the
company to change its fare schedule wasn't an option. Maybe the new
drivers association that's also a part of the recent settlement will
prevail upon company officials to raise rates enough to spare everyone
the annoyance of a tip system. Hope springs eternal.
Failing that, Uber should make tipping as painless as possible for
everyone.
The company is taking a holier-than-thou approach, saying it wants no
part of a system fraught with conscious or unconscious racial bias.
The company cites studies saying white waitstaff in restaurants
receive greater tips than black waitstaff who provide equally good service.
But unless the company wants to increase its rates for everyone,
Uber's indignation would be better directed toward developing a fairer
system for tipping. It could ask customers to set a default tip rate
for all rides. It could develop incentive systems so that top-rated
drivers receive monetary rewards. In fact, Uber, with its vast store
of data and its ability to monitor user behavior, is in an excellent
position to devise an efficient system that gives drivers a little
more in their pockets and spares passengers the trouble of digging around in
theirs.
http://e-max.it/posizionamento-siti-web/socialize
http://e-max.it/posizionamento-siti-web/socialize
