Uber and Lyft Won't Suspend California Service, as Court Grants Reprieve in Labor Law Case

Travelers request an Uber ride at Los Angeles International Airport's LAX-it pick up terminal Thursday, Aug. 20, 2020.

Travelers request an Uber ride at Los Angeles International Airport's LAX-it pick up terminal Thursday, Aug. 20, 2020. AP Photo/Damian Dovarganes

 

Connecting state and local government leaders

STATE AND LOCAL ROUNDUP | Los Angeles shuts off utilities at “party house” … New Jersey women in prison can pursue lawsuit over abuse … Alaska tribe sues over fishing rights.

Uber and Lyft won’t be suspending ride-booking services in California this week, as the companies had threatened to do. The tech giants have been battling with state and local officials in court over whether a state labor law requires them to reclassify their drivers as employees, as opposed to independent contractors. The switch would mean higher labor costs for the companies—both of which have been losing hundreds of millions of dollars every quarter, even before the coronavirus pandemic, despite their popularity with consumers. On Aug. 10, a state judge issued an injunction blocking them from treating their drivers as contractors, but gave them 10 days to appeal. On Thursday, a state appeals court put the injunction temporarily on hold pending further court proceedings. As the legal wrangling plays out, the companies are pouring millions of dollars into a state ballot measure, Proposition 22, that will go before California voters this November. It would enable ride-booking and app-based delivery companies to keep treating their drivers as contractors. Uber and Lyft will now have five days to agree to expedited procedures for their appeals. They’ll also have to provide sworn statements from executives that the companies have developed plans to comply with the Aug. 10 order if necessary. “The court of appeal is holding the companies’ feet to the fire,” said William Gould, professor emeritus at Stanford Law School and a former National Labor Relations Board chairman. [Los Angeles Times, MarketWatch, San Francisco Chronicle

PARTY HOUSE | Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti directed the city to shut off utilities at a Hollywood Hills “party house” that has hosted several large gatherings in violation of the city’s public health orders."Despite several warnings, this house has turned into a nightclub in the hills, hosting large gatherings in flagrant violation of our public health orders," Garcetti said. "If we wish to reopen more businesses, return our kids to school, or get back to our normal lives, we must continue to wear masks, wash our hands frequently, and as we're emphasizing today, avoid gathering with others. All of these actions save lives.” [CNN]

WOMEN’S PRISON | A state judge in New Jersey has ruled that women incarcerated at the Edna Mahan Correctional Facility for Women can pursue a class-action lawsuit against the state prison, after a federal report revealed that the facility was plagued by rampant sexual abuse committed by guards. The report “sheds new light on, and requires a fresh look at, the hostile living environment,” the judge wrote. [NBC New York]

FISHING RIGHTS | An Alaska Native tribe, the Metlakatla Indian Community, is suing Gov. Mike Dunleavy over fishing rights. The tribe argues that traditional fishing grounds were guaranteed to them in a treaty with Congress, but the state is still requiring members to obtain commercial fishing permits to fish in certain areas. [Alaska Public Media]

CONFEDERATE MONUMENT | Police in Portsmouth, Virginia served an arrest warrant for state Sen. L. Louise Lucas, who they allege was part of a conspiracy to topple the city’s Confederate monument during a protest on June 10. “It’s just an unnecessary nuisance but you know what? I will be vindicated,” Lucas said after she was released on her own recognizance. [Washington Post]

X
This website uses cookies to enhance user experience and to analyze performance and traffic on our website. We also share information about your use of our site with our social media, advertising and analytics partners. Learn More / Do Not Sell My Personal Information
Accept Cookies
X
Cookie Preferences Cookie List

Do Not Sell My Personal Information

When you visit our website, we store cookies on your browser to collect information. The information collected might relate to you, your preferences or your device, and is mostly used to make the site work as you expect it to and to provide a more personalized web experience. However, you can choose not to allow certain types of cookies, which may impact your experience of the site and the services we are able to offer. Click on the different category headings to find out more and change our default settings according to your preference. You cannot opt-out of our First Party Strictly Necessary Cookies as they are deployed in order to ensure the proper functioning of our website (such as prompting the cookie banner and remembering your settings, to log into your account, to redirect you when you log out, etc.). For more information about the First and Third Party Cookies used please follow this link.

Allow All Cookies

Manage Consent Preferences

Strictly Necessary Cookies - Always Active

We do not allow you to opt-out of our certain cookies, as they are necessary to ensure the proper functioning of our website (such as prompting our cookie banner and remembering your privacy choices) and/or to monitor site performance. These cookies are not used in a way that constitutes a “sale” of your data under the CCPA. You can set your browser to block or alert you about these cookies, but some parts of the site will not work as intended if you do so. You can usually find these settings in the Options or Preferences menu of your browser. Visit www.allaboutcookies.org to learn more.

Sale of Personal Data, Targeting & Social Media Cookies

Under the California Consumer Privacy Act, you have the right to opt-out of the sale of your personal information to third parties. These cookies collect information for analytics and to personalize your experience with targeted ads. You may exercise your right to opt out of the sale of personal information by using this toggle switch. If you opt out we will not be able to offer you personalised ads and will not hand over your personal information to any third parties. Additionally, you may contact our legal department for further clarification about your rights as a California consumer by using this Exercise My Rights link

If you have enabled privacy controls on your browser (such as a plugin), we have to take that as a valid request to opt-out. Therefore we would not be able to track your activity through the web. This may affect our ability to personalize ads according to your preferences.

Targeting cookies may be set through our site by our advertising partners. They may be used by those companies to build a profile of your interests and show you relevant adverts on other sites. They do not store directly personal information, but are based on uniquely identifying your browser and internet device. If you do not allow these cookies, you will experience less targeted advertising.

Social media cookies are set by a range of social media services that we have added to the site to enable you to share our content with your friends and networks. They are capable of tracking your browser across other sites and building up a profile of your interests. This may impact the content and messages you see on other websites you visit. If you do not allow these cookies you may not be able to use or see these sharing tools.

If you want to opt out of all of our lead reports and lists, please submit a privacy request at our Do Not Sell page.

Save Settings
Cookie Preferences Cookie List

Cookie List

A cookie is a small piece of data (text file) that a website – when visited by a user – asks your browser to store on your device in order to remember information about you, such as your language preference or login information. Those cookies are set by us and called first-party cookies. We also use third-party cookies – which are cookies from a domain different than the domain of the website you are visiting – for our advertising and marketing efforts. More specifically, we use cookies and other tracking technologies for the following purposes:

Strictly Necessary Cookies

We do not allow you to opt-out of our certain cookies, as they are necessary to ensure the proper functioning of our website (such as prompting our cookie banner and remembering your privacy choices) and/or to monitor site performance. These cookies are not used in a way that constitutes a “sale” of your data under the CCPA. You can set your browser to block or alert you about these cookies, but some parts of the site will not work as intended if you do so. You can usually find these settings in the Options or Preferences menu of your browser. Visit www.allaboutcookies.org to learn more.

Functional Cookies

We do not allow you to opt-out of our certain cookies, as they are necessary to ensure the proper functioning of our website (such as prompting our cookie banner and remembering your privacy choices) and/or to monitor site performance. These cookies are not used in a way that constitutes a “sale” of your data under the CCPA. You can set your browser to block or alert you about these cookies, but some parts of the site will not work as intended if you do so. You can usually find these settings in the Options or Preferences menu of your browser. Visit www.allaboutcookies.org to learn more.

Performance Cookies

We do not allow you to opt-out of our certain cookies, as they are necessary to ensure the proper functioning of our website (such as prompting our cookie banner and remembering your privacy choices) and/or to monitor site performance. These cookies are not used in a way that constitutes a “sale” of your data under the CCPA. You can set your browser to block or alert you about these cookies, but some parts of the site will not work as intended if you do so. You can usually find these settings in the Options or Preferences menu of your browser. Visit www.allaboutcookies.org to learn more.

Sale of Personal Data

We also use cookies to personalize your experience on our websites, including by determining the most relevant content and advertisements to show you, and to monitor site traffic and performance, so that we may improve our websites and your experience. You may opt out of our use of such cookies (and the associated “sale” of your Personal Information) by using this toggle switch. You will still see some advertising, regardless of your selection. Because we do not track you across different devices, browsers and GEMG properties, your selection will take effect only on this browser, this device and this website.

Social Media Cookies

We also use cookies to personalize your experience on our websites, including by determining the most relevant content and advertisements to show you, and to monitor site traffic and performance, so that we may improve our websites and your experience. You may opt out of our use of such cookies (and the associated “sale” of your Personal Information) by using this toggle switch. You will still see some advertising, regardless of your selection. Because we do not track you across different devices, browsers and GEMG properties, your selection will take effect only on this browser, this device and this website.

Targeting Cookies

We also use cookies to personalize your experience on our websites, including by determining the most relevant content and advertisements to show you, and to monitor site traffic and performance, so that we may improve our websites and your experience. You may opt out of our use of such cookies (and the associated “sale” of your Personal Information) by using this toggle switch. You will still see some advertising, regardless of your selection. Because we do not track you across different devices, browsers and GEMG properties, your selection will take effect only on this browser, this device and this website.