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Wednesday, March 25, 2015
NEVADA LEGISLATURECOMMITTEE ON COMMERCE, LABOR AND ENERGYRoom
2135 of the Legislative Building, 401 S. Carson St., Carson City,
NV.
RE: S.B. 439 Provides for the permitting and regulation of
transportation networkcompanies.Senators,
I respectfully request a moment of your time regarding the Bill
noted above regarding For HireDrivers and Ride Share Network
Services. Please excuse me if this is not the proper method
ofbringing this topic to your attention, but I believe it very
important.
Currently in many States Ride-Hail/Ride Share Drivers working
for Uber, specifically the UberXPlatform are subjected to earnings
that are well below any of the States minimum wages whileUber
actually receives more earnings than the Driver on the fares earned
by the Driver. Uber hasmade claims that the Uber Drivers are making
excellent hourly wages and uses selective datamining practices and
omits including information that is required to make such
claim.
Uber claims they have made over 162,000 jobs in communities
across the US and boasts thatthese jobs are quality jobs earning a
reasonable income. Sadly this is not actually the truth. Sincelast
year Uber has reduced rates significantly in most major cities
nation-wide, and reducing theserelative jobs to low paying and
unstable, many not earning the minimum wage they would be paidif
paid as an Employee.
Many people contend that if the driver unhappy with the
compensation, he should find another job,but that does not correct
the impact Uber has upon the American Worker. Many of Ubers
Driversare from the unemployed, minorities, or people that believed
Uber when they said that UberDrivers could make reasonable earnings
working with them. The facts are some of us havedumped good paying
jobs, invested in brand new cars at exorbitant interest rates to
work as aUber Partners only to discover Uber would leave us unable
to even make enough earnings to paythe car payments.
I ask but one thing of you, please take a moment to ensure your
Bill does not allow Uber to comeinto your communities and make
drivers work for a rate that will not provide a decent job for
yourcommunity and a reasonable wage for the Driver and his/her
family. As I know little of how to writea Bill, I have no idea how
you can ensure this except by putting a bottom on the amount of
therates Drivers are paid. Were it San Francisco, CA. I would
recommend the rate not be less than$4.00 base, $2.00 per mile,
$0.25 per minute. I have no idea the comparable rate for your
State,but I assure you that should not a bottom be set, your State
will be subjected to the reality a fewmonths into the future that
Uber has made a large amount of poverty level jobs that are
supportedby your Welfare services. This Country needs strong stable
jobs not trickery by Uber that leavesthe Worker broke and
angry.
The Association represented on the letterhead is presently being
formed to try to find a way to fixthe abuses to the Workers by Uber
in numerous States where no such legislation has been made,leaving
the Workers at the mercy of Ubers unfair practices. As most States
do not provide Labor
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Board style protections for Independent Contractors, there is
little we will be able to do exceptdisrupt services by picketing
style demonstrations or going on strike. We are still selecting
ourBoard and Association Officers and it is not going to be an easy
task to get our membership tosignificant numbers to oppose Uber,
but some day in the future, it will happen.
I thank you for your time and consideration in this matter.
Should you wish to contact me directly, Ican be reached by
telephone at 510-940-5962 or by email to [email protected] . I
suggestyou view web sites such as UberPeople.net Uber Drivers
FaceBook Group Uber Drivers FB GroupSan Francisco and US RIDE-HAIL
DRIVER'S ASSOCIATION if you would like to see evidence ofmy
claims.
Thank You,
Richard Brunelle, PresidentUS RIDE-HAIL DRIVERS ASSOCIATION1552
167TH Ave #BSan Leandro, CA 94578510-490-5962
Richard W Brunelle
