Yes i see what you mean. You are trying to inject Soviet Union style scare tactics instead of answering my question: What stops Uber from offering the same flexibility, destination info, surge multiplier and drive pass?.
why should they? The ONLY reason they do is to create an incentive to attract drivers, and they have to do that beause they pay so cheap their turnover is high so they always need drivers ( the dynamic will change 180 degrees if W-2 ) and so they can avoid all the hassle of the extra book work, and associated higher costs of administering W-2 employees, it's not like they have a lot of competition that they need incentives to find drivers. Jobs with hourly wages always get more applications than commission jobs.
Soviet Union? Have you ever lived in the Soviet Union?
I didn't think so.
But, maybe you're right, maybe they'll offer those things.
I've been a W-2 for two different cab companies, in the 70s and one was 10 hour shift, with an hour break, the other was a 9 hour shift, with an half hour break. I had to be on the road at all times (during my shift ), and had to book X dollars, average, every day, or be fired. Book, was $55 bucks. If I didn't average it, I was fired, this was in 1977. See, I was allowed to turn down trips, but I didn't for fear of not making book. We had worker's comp, but we didn't have health insurance. If we didn't make book, we could switch to leasing, and then they didn't care what we booked. I eventually did that, and I found I made more. Paying by the hour takes all the fun out of it, really. But a cabbie can work the street, an Uber can't do that. I really have no idea what will happen. I have my doubts.
they will probably have some kind of bonuses,for productivity, but I doubt it will be that much. Uber thinks drivers get stoked over pocket change. It isn't now like it was when I started in 2013, when I did $500 every saturday night, and the surges were insane.
I've thinking about this. They'll have no choice but to raise rates to about what taxis are charging.
That means the customer base will shrink.
that means not everyone who has access to the platform will have it, there will be 'lay offs' or whatever the equivalent of that is.
Most drivers will have to work full time, and there won't be as many drivers available to drive, as I think most drivers are part time.
I don't think they are going to pay by the hour, though, in fact, they might pay commission with a $14 per hour gaurantee, that's my guess.
They will take taxes out, and you'll get a check sans taxes, which you will get refund at the end of the fiscal year.
The ONE big benefit is if they fire you, you can collect unemployment, but since it's not that much, it's not that big a deal.
They WILL have to pay you mileage for your car, (cab companies did not pay owner/operaters a mileage fee, but their rates were a lot higher ) but my guess it will only be for miles when a passenger is in the car, which is maybe 50% of the total miles you drive, maybe more. I don't know. That's about what paid miles were when I as a cab driver, but cabbies did a lot cruising for hail/pick ups. As an Uber you won't be doing that. so the paid mile ratio should be improved.
If this results in a much greater loss for Uber, they just might pull out, as they have threatened. They haven't committed to doing that yet, because they don't know how much they are going to make, or not make. But I think they will, for one big reason:
To send a message to other states who might be getting a similar idea.