[phil21]

I might agree with this stance if this were not being very selectively enforced.

Uber is far more "contractor like" than many professions/industries in the US including the very industry it replaces. Cabbies are contractors, yet have far less autonomy than Uber drivers. Same goes for Fedex (ground) drivers.

The fact Uber is the one they are going after is telling and honestly ridiculous; if not downright dishonest and corrupt. You cannot make the argument to me that a Fedex Ground driver who drives a company vehicle, on a schedule set in stone, with a route they must adhere to, while wearing a company uniform is less an employee than an Uber driver using their own vehicle, at the hours they choose, in the locations they see fit.

I could absolutely be convinced that both those conditions meet the employee test - but until I see these huge "legacy" industries who are obviously using middle-layer contractors as a loophole being smacked, I think it's entirely political and has absolutely nothing whatsoever to do with the workers or changing anything.

[gohrt]

I simple wage test -- does the worker net more than some low wage per hour, after a reasonable estimate of expenses -- would go far. The point of the employee/contractor distinction is give the right person responsibility for the complexities of the work. Someone who earns less than a "living wage" isn't a responsible business owner.