Opaque algorithms exploit drivers and suppress their earnings, but a proposed law would require rideshare companies to show their math.
gig workers
Posted inOpinion Columns
Opinion: Big Gig sells ‘flexibility,’ but what I want is transparency
The company’s algorithms control every move I make. My fellow drivers and I are fighting back.
Posted inEconomy
What’s Working: Denver inflation slows to 7.7%, which is still historically high
Coloradans spent an average of $850 more last month due to inflation, according to one estimate. Plus: CSU researchers say housing prices need to drop 32% for affordability, Starbucks closes unionized store, more!
Posted inOpinion
Opinion: The freedom of work independence, the security of employment benefits
The pandemic has been an unexpected boon for workers. After an initial surge in unemployment, the economy has recovered and now, with a red-hot labor market, workers are figuring out how to demand more from their companies. In some cases, this is taking the form of direct confrontation, like the battle between Amazon and its […]
Posted inOpinion, Opinion Columns
Opinion: An Uber driver says gig workers should not have to compromise flexibility for benefits
The pandemic has created a scary time and has made app-based workers driving and delivering goods an essential service. It also urgently exposed that more can be done to help independent workers — it’s time to extend new protections and benefits. Colorado drivers, like me, would benefit greatly from legislation that would guarantee drivers more […]
Posted inOpinion, Opinion Columns
Opinion: Why Coloradans should be skeptical about gig companies’ promises
In December, Uber’s CEO asked the governors of all 50 states to give the ride-hailing company’s workers priority for the coronavirus vaccine. The company sent a similar letter to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. It’s a profoundly cynical move. Uber and friends just spent over $200 million on California’s Proposition 22, a successful […]
Posted inBusiness, COVID, News
Colorado won’t try to collect the $1.4 million in overpaid unemployment benefits it distributed after all
About 9,000 Coloradans who were overpaid more than $1 million in unemployment benefits and told to pay it back may not have to after all, Colorado Department of Labor and Employment officials said on Thursday. Confusing forms for gig workers and the self-employed had many applicants overstating their earnings, which were supposed to be based […]
Posted inBusiness, News
Colorado has paid out more than $2 billion in unemployment benefits since March
Colorado has paid out more than $2.2 billion in unemployment benefits since late March as about 23,000 more people last week filed for aid from the state after losing their jobs. The Colorado Department of Labor and Employment says the payout figure includes money paid out as part of regular unemployment benefit as well as […]