[Arman101]

Hello guys,

I have been discussing this idea with many other people. The kind of predatory company uber is.... we NEED to have a union between us. Numbers say it all. If we have enough drivers we can have a say in the ruling. We pick a representative that will officially meet uber representatives to make or stop changes. This is good site too, but I am going to launch a proper site with voting facility, strike call and place to address other problems. Again.... official or not official.... it all begins with the big number of drivers united. The company can't run without the drivers. So, Let me hear your opinions.

 

[AlphaUber]

Bro, no one will say this, but when you guys hold your meetings, I am gonna take the 3X Rides.

 

[Arman101]

I know, thats one thing thats a big problem thats how uber will lure the drivers out. But thats only true for actual strikes.... if we have big number then the voting would still have an impact.

 

[dmoney155]

Ain't going to work. Many people who do this part time can't be bothered. And like mentioned above, will only take advantage of times surge goes up cause of it.

 

[UberTrader]

I think it is a good idea, why don't you go ahead and set up the site and we will try to lure more drivers to vote, at least we can try.

 

[Athos]

I think there will be scabs like AlphaUber but even if the scabs take the surge rides the Uber system will be degraded. Uber has itself positioned such that drivers' contact with each other is extremely limited. It's nothing like a workshop of old where workers knew each other. Now, with Uber's system scabs would be anonymous. We would just have to accept that.

The best way, I think, is to disrupt the system and make it unreliable for the riders. So, for example, everyone go for coffee for a half hour in prime time. And we could change the time so riders can't plan around it. That way drivers wouldn't lose too much but we would still have an impact.

There isn't much to lose if we do it that way. After all we are at the bottom of the wage scale anyway.

 

[bandit13]

I think it is a good idea, why don't you go ahead and set up the site and we will try to lure more drivers to vote, at least we can try.

Good Idea. Go For It !

As Obama says " All Fired Up and Ready to Go ".

 

[ryan137]

Anybody taking Uber seriously enough to think we really need a union needs to re-evaluate their life. You are self employed, not working for uber.

Striking during prime time is a ridiculous idea. We are in the business to serve the riders. If we disrupt their day, they will look unfavourably on Uber AND its drivers. This is how you lose business to taxis. When taxi drivers went on strike to protest uber, uber made more money as the pax went to them out of frustration at taxis.

I will happily collect 3x surge fares while you have your meetings/strikes. You would have to work miracles to even communicate to all drivers at once to get them to join. Out of the thousands of drivers in the GTHA, how many are here on UP? 1-2%? How do you reach the rest?

 

[Athos]

never going to work just give up already

Giving up already? Tell us why you don't think it won't work. What have you got to lose anyway? A few bucks lost income? You could go home and have a nap and save gas and kilometers on your car.

Why the negativity?

 

[AlphaUber]

I think there will be scabs like AlphaUber but even if the scabs take the surge rides the Uber system will be degraded. Uber has itself positioned such that drivers' contact with each other is extremely limited. It's nothing like a workshop of old where workers knew each other. Now, with Uber's system scabs would be anonymous. We would just have to accept that.

The best way, I think, is to disrupt the system and make it unreliable for the riders. So, for example, everyone go for coffee for a half hour in prime time. And we could change the time so riders can't plan around it. That way drivers wouldn't lose too much but we would still have an impact.

There isn't much to lose if we do it that way. After all we are at the bottom of the wage scale anyway.

I was making a point. This has been brought up before and you need numbers, a lot of numbers. There are 8 Drivers on every intersection, unless you take away at least 6 from each, Uber won't even feel the effect.

People here call each other Cockroaches, literally people that have been on the Platform for a day and would struggle to decide if they should take the 407 or not when the Navigation shows. You think you will be able to get these guys to actually come together?

 

[ryan137]

Giving up already? Tell us why you don't think it won't work. What have you got to lose anyway? A few bucks lost income? You could go home and have a nap and save gas and kilometers on your car.

Why the negativity?

Because people have been suggesting this for months and months. Nobody has ever had even a shadow of a plan as to how to execute it, and as a result it always turns into the same useless circular discussion.

 

[Athos]

You are self employed, not working for uber.

That's a matter of definition. If you think Uber is a "partner" then I would say that they are a very poor partner and have flooded the city with too many drivers. Maybe a rotating strike would be a reasonable push back.

We are in the business to serve the riders. If we disrupt their day, they will look unfavourably on Uber AND its drivers.

Always a risk. On the other hand we could just roll over and be exploited.

You would have to work miracles to even communicate to all drivers at once to get them to join. Out of the thousands of drivers in the GTHA, how many are here on UP? 1-2%? How do you reach the rest?

We would have to be creative. We have to get drivers' eyes to a web page. We might do that with an expanding distribution of flyers. When one of us takes an Uber we hand out a handful of flyers to our driver if he/she is sympathetic. That's just an idea off the top of my head. I'm sure there are better ideas. We might have to play a long game.

Another idea, on a very different track, is to lobby to have employment definitions changes to be more favourable to us. A web page might be a good place to start. UP probably won't cut it.

 

[ryan137]

We would have to be creative. We have to get drivers' eyes to a web page. We might do that with an expanding distribution of flyers. When one of us takes an Uber we hand out a handful of flyers to our driver if he/she is sympathetic. That's just an idea off the top of my head. I'm sure there are better ideas. We might have to play a long game.

Good luck. Your ideas are neither new nor unique, you can search hundreds of posts where others have said the same.

That's a matter of definition. If you think Uber is a "partner" then I would say that they are a very poor partner and have flooded the city with too many drivers. Maybe a rotating strike would be a reasonable push back.

I do not think of Uber as a partner at all. I think of it as exactly what it is. A referrer of trip requests to my transportation service. Look at the contract you signed. You cannot change the definition of the service you are providing if you have agreed to a contract that outlines your role explicitly.

 

[Arman101]

Alright I have read all the things... so far we know that alot of families actually rely on uber income and uber rats them. Like decreasing ubereats income over night and justifying it by so called boost...

The thing is there is no easy platform to do it.... I will for sure provide one..everynow and then uber pisses of some drivers and will push them to signup. Apps, website anything that's easy to reach.

There can be so many solutions if we put our head together. We need some commitment and try to hurt the driver as less as possible.

 

[Athos]

Good luck.

Thanks,

I do not think of Uber as a partner at all. I think of it as exactly what it is. A referrer of trip requests to my transportation service. Look at the contract you signed. You cannot change the definition of the service you are providing if you have agreed to a contract that outlines your role explicitly.

That's irrelevant. Employee, partner, contractor, whatever. Withholding our service is what matters. Uber has taken control of the transaction. This is all that's left to us.

Your ideas are neither new nor unique, you can search hundreds of posts where others have said the same.

True. But I will be behind it if it ever gains momentum. I hope you will be there too.

 

[dmoney155]

That's a matter of definition. If you think Uber is a "partner" then I would say that they are a very poor partner and have flooded the city with too many drivers.

That's the idea, so the riders have access to a car at moment's notice, AND they won't be affected by someone "calling in sick" .

On the other hand we could just roll over and be exploited.

Want to outsmart Uber?, channel your energy into creating an exit plan. Educate/better yourself and move on to better things. Uber is not a career nor a profession. You simply sharing a ride with someone for some gas money. Minute you think of it as something else you are doomed to a life of agony that will end up with you being on the curb once you get replaced by autonomous vehicles.

Alright I have read all the things... so far we know that alot of families actually rely on uber income and uber rats them. Like decreasing ubereats income over night and justifying it by so called boost...

The thing is there is no easy platform to do it.... I will for sure provide one..everynow and then uber pisses of some drivers and will push them to signup. Apps, website anything that's easy to reach.

There can be so many solutions if we put our head together. We need some commitment and try to hurt the driver as less as possible.

Go sit in front of the greenhub and solicit your agenda. best way to reach drivers and prospective drivers. have fun, im off driving...

edit... also King & portland is where you'll find most drivers, so good place to walk up and down the street to drop off flyers. Good luck.

 

[MUGATS]

The huge assumption alway made during these discussions is that most drivers WANT a union. In reality with a vast part time work force that relies on the flexibility of Uber as it now exists and the loss of that flexibility if we became employees, would mean more than any sort of gains that would result from an employee/employer relationship

 

[Athos]

Want to outsmart Uber?, channel your energy into creating an exit plan. Educate/better yourself and move on to better things. Uber is not a career nor a profession. You simply sharing a ride with someone for some gas money. Minute you think of it as something else you are doomed to a life of agony that will end up with you being on the curb once you get replaced by autonomous vehicles.

I totally agree with this. In my case Uber is not a job I need. I do it for reasons other than most I think. Canada is generating jobs like crazy right now. Drivers should use this time to get out. Uber is a dead end.

What I want to fight is the growth of this kind of employment model. Uber is front line. In the US one version is called "Right to Work" and, though it sounds pro-worker is actually a form of exploitative Social Darwinism developed and promulgated by big money from the Libertarian right.

 

[MUGATS]

I totally agree with this. In my case Uber is not a job I need. I do it for reasons other than most I think. Canada is generating jobs like crazy right now. Drivers should use this time to get out. Uber is a dead end.

What I want to fight is the growth of this kind of employment model. Uber is front line. In the US one version is called "Right to Work" and, though it sounds pro-worker is actually a form of exploitative Social Darwinism developed and promulgated by big money from the Libertarian right.

I agree with you 100% in the big picture. I just don't think Uber is the vessel for any sort of worker/corporation battle.

I contend it was never intended/designed to be sustaining full time work. Some have found an angle that works for them.... But that doesn't mean that angle is a change in the business model. You might as well go after Amway because you haven't made living wage selling their crap.

 

[UberTrader]

If Thomas Edison was giving up like you guys here, then we would be still living like a stone age humans as of now...don't kill the idea before it gets started.