[jerry80]

I really don't understand why drivers should be considered employees, or even independent contractors, to Uber. Maybe someone can fill me in.

To me, Uber seems more like a marketplace that connects buyers and sellers of a particular service (rides).

If I sell something on eBay, should eBay consider me an employee and give me benefits? What about if I sell my service on Fiverr or Upwork? How is that Upwork any different than Uber?

As an aside, I fell like the whole idea of benefits being tied to employers is a horrible anti-pattern. It reminds me of the old days when you got paid in company dollars to spend at the company store.

[umvi]

The difference is that on ebay you get to set the price of what you are selling.

With Uber you don't. Uber gets to decide how much the ride costs, not you.

[jerry80]

So if Uber implemented a bid/ask type pricing system that the driver had control over, people would drop the employee demand? I don't buy it.

[umvi]

No, if uber implemented bid/ask pricing then their case that drivers are independent contractors would hold more water