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What I’ve Been Reading This Week

 

A noteworthy, to say the least topic, comes out of England after Uber announced earlier this week that it would classify its driver in the country as employees rather than independent contractors.  As noted below, this is not the definitive decision that will impact all Uber drivers worldwide, but it is a development worth leading things off this week. 

As always, below are a couple articles that caught my eye this week.


Uber Announces Plan to Classify Its England Drivers As Employees

Adam Santariano at The New York Times wrote an article earlier this week in which he noted the somewhat surprising announcement from Uber that it had decided to classify its more than 70,000 drivers in England as employees, which will thus provide these drivers with a minimum wage, vacation, and a pension.  It has been no secret that Uber (and other gig companies) have long fought attempts to reclassify their workers as employees rather than independent contractors.  (In fact, that is still an ongoing fight stateside.)  While Uber’s announcement for its driver in England will not necessarily mean that all of its driver worldwide will be classified as employees, it certainly makes that a much more realistic option than it had been when Uber was contesting this reclassification fight tooth and nail.


Right to Work Legislation Falters in Montana Legislature

Recently, an attempt by Montana State Representative Caleb Hinkle to advance his legislation to make Montana a right to work state was summarily defeated by a 38 - 62 vote in opposition to the bill.  (It is worth recognizing that the Montana House is comprised of 67 Republicans and 33 Democrats, yet 29 Republicans voted to oppose the bill.)  Had the legislation advanced (and become law), Montana would have become a right to work state in which required payment of union dues (by non union members) would not be a permissible condition of employment.  Without a right to work law in effect, an employer can lawfully require a non union employee pay union dues as a condition of employment.  (Those union dues go toward the costs of collective bargaining by the union on behalf of all employees, regardless of whether or not they are union members.)

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