[ravel-bar-foo]

This is because antitrust laws in the US have been reinterpreted by the courts to only apply where there is an adverse impact on consumers. In order to punish anticompetitive behavior that negatively affects workers in keeping with existing precedents, they get into redefining workers as consumers.

[gruez]

Is gig workers' poor treatment because of "anticompetitive behavior" or because they're low skill labor with plenty of other takers if one driver refuses the deal?

[ravel-bar-foo]

That depends a lot on the specific gig and market. To use taxi services as an example, in some metros Uber has completely taken over the market and can thus reduce driver compensation or add fees for drivers. Hidden fees in particular are classic anticompetitive behavior.