Is the implementation of a minimum wage law in Seattle hurting the delivery industry? Also in the news, safety solutions-focused DisplayRide teams up with T-Mobile for better bandwidth.
We also saw Gopuff team up with Robinhood to provide independent workers an IRA, Uber and Lyft threaten to leave Minneapolis, and Apple’s Project Titan is dead.
Join RSG Contributor Paula Lemar as she breaks down the top headlines in this week’s rideshare news.
Seattle City Council President Sara Nelson ‘Very Worried’ About Fallout From Food Delivery Shake-Up
Topic Originally Appeared On GeekWire
Summary
A controversial new minimum wage law for gig workers in Seattle that is drawing ire from tech giants has become one of Sara Nelson’s first policy issues to tackle in her new role as city council president.
Nelson, elected to the council in 2021 and appointed as president in January, spoke to GeekWire this week about the ordinance that went into effect last month and set a minimum per-minute and per-mile amount for app-based workers.
DoorDash and Uber Eats responded by adding substantial new fees for consumers — $5 for each order — and saying demand has fallen substantially in the subsequent weeks.
My Take
It’s very possible that this fallout will be detrimental to business in Seattle. It could be that this specific model works for rideshare but not for delivery services.
It’s almost as if each thing should have its own business model that works best for the platform. If only the platforms could be trusted to give drivers a fair wage for the work being done.
Other markets are trying to come up with solutions as well, and they are likely looking to Seattle to see what works and what doesn’t since Seattle is the first city to implement this kind of minimum wage law.
Of course, Uber, Lyft, Doordash, etc., are all doing what they can to stop these laws from being made in the first place. They just want to focus on profitability and not worry about paying fair wages.
DisplayRide Collaborates with T-Mobile for Reliable, High Bandwidth Connectivity Nationwide
Topic Originally Appeared On EIN Presswire
Summary
DisplayRide Inc., an innovator of safety solutions for the Gig economy, announced that it has teamed up with T-Mobile for all its bandwidth requirements.
DisplayRide provides a wide range of safety solutions for rideshare and gig delivery, as well as for vehicle repossession and consumer segments. Its safety portfolio uses a significant amount of wireless bandwidth to enable rapid uploads of multimedia content to secure cloud locations.
Solutions like the Rideshare Monitoring Platform, the Delivery Monitoring Platform, the SafetyCam, and the GuardianCarCam are expressly designed to deter, document, and de-escalate safety issues, all while operating continuously in an online mode.
“T-Mobile is pleased to team up with DisplayRide to help make rideshare, delivery, and mobility safer,” said Dan Thygesen, Senior Vice President of T-Mobile Wholesale and head of T-Mobile’s growing wholesale business. “We look forward to a long and productive relationship.”
My Take
Harry is a huge supporter of DisplayRide and the safety it brings to delivery and rideshare drivers. In fact, if you use the promo code RSG, you’ll get a discount. For one unit, your initial payment will be discounted.
If using the Low Initial Payment option, you’ll receive $25 off the initial payment and $10 off the monthly payment (a total of $125 for the initial payment and $20/month).
If using the Low Monthly Payment option, you’ll receive $50 off the initial payment and $10 off the monthly payment ($250 for the initial payment and $10/month).
Check out Harry’s podcast with DisplayRide’s CEO Abdul Kasim.
The partnership with T-Mobile will help expand the capabilities of DisplayRide’s safety measures. We would love to see more safety options available for drivers. You can never be too careful.
Use code RSG at DisplayRide for 15% off!
Gopuff Partners with Robinhood to Bring Delivery Partners Access to Powerful Retirement Planning Tools
Topic Originally Appeared On GoPuff Newsroom
Summary
Today, Gopuff announced a partnership with Robinhood to provide its delivery partners with access to Robinhood Retirement For Independent Workers.
The launch makes Gopuff one of the first companies to offer its independent workers access to the only IRA with a match (provided by Robinhood) on every eligible dollar contributed – no commissions, no account minimums, and no traditional employer necessary.
“Amid an uncertain economic climate, it’s become more difficult for Americans to save and plan for their futures,” said Daniel Folkman, SVP of Business at Gopuff.
“So, as we continue to invest in and enhance the delivery partner experience, we’re proud to be among the first companies working with Robinhood to bring Gopuff delivery partners access to important retirement planning tools so they can improve their financial well-being.”
My Take
Read our GoPuff Driver Review to learn more about GoPuff and its offerings, and watch another review from our YouTube page:
It’s great that companies are starting to focus on retirement solutions for drivers. It’s not like Uber or Lyft have a 401k for drivers to utilize, and a lot of drivers who drive full-time might not be taking the measures themselves to start saving for retirement.
A lot of research has shown that millennials and others are not even close to saving enough for retirement. I don’t know about you, but I don’t want to be working until I die just so I can pay my bills. I want to be able to retire and enjoy my life work-free.
Uber, Lyft Resume Threats To Leave Minneapolis Over New Driver Wage Plan
Topic Originally Appeared On Star Tribune (archive.ph)
Summary
The Minneapolis City Council has resurrected plans to raise wages and expand the rights of Uber and Lyft drivers — and the companies have resurrected their threats to leave town if those plans move forward.
The battle, strikingly similar to one that played out last year, sprang anew before a Minneapolis City Council committee Tuesday.
The subject of a public hearing was a proposed ordinance that would pay drivers a minimum of $1.40 per mile and 51 cents per minute while transporting riders on any trip within the city limits, among other guarantees.
Mayor Jacob Frey vetoed a similar plan last year.
The primary difference this year could be political math: Following last year’s election, the council has shifted slightly left, and it’s possible the current council could override his veto where the last council didn’t — if things head that way.
My Take
More threats to leave Minneapolis. As this is my market, I’m watching this news pretty closely to see what happens. I love having the option to call an Uber or Lyft while I’m out drinking with friends.
Or even when not drinking, just to avoid finding parking downtown. It would be heartbreaking to see Uber and Lyft leave Minneapolis over something that seems so necessary for the well-being of drivers.
The proposed minimums would get us back to around what I was earning when I first joined Uber as a driver back in 2016. Uber is what got me through unemployment for a few months while looking for something in my career field after being let go.
Apple’s Electric Car Project Is Dead
Topic Originally Appeared On The Verge
Summary
Apple has halted its long-rumored “Project Titan” work on developing an electric car, according to Bloomberg. The company reportedly announced the news internally on Tuesday and said many people in the 2,000-person team behind the car will shift to generative AI efforts instead.
Apple’s chief operating officer, Jeff Williams, and Kevin Lynch, a vice president in charge of the project, informed employees of the project’s discontinuation, Bloomberg reports. The outlet adds that there will also be layoffs, but it’s not clear how many workers it will affect.
Apple’s efforts to build its own electric car have been rumored for years, and recent reports suggested Apple was still working on the project.
Earlier this month, Wired reported that Apple had driven over 45,000 miles in 2023 using the autonomous driving tech it’s developed, while Bloomberg said in January Apple pushed back the car’s expected launch to 2028.
The Verge reached out to Apple with a request for comment but didn’t immediately hear back.
My Take
One less electric car in the mix. It’s curious that Apple would have spent so much time, money, and resources to start developing this technology just to drop it.
Perhaps they realized they wouldn’t get to the level of Tesla or other EV options that already exist. If you can’t improve on the existing options, there’s no benefit from trying to break into that market.
It never made a lot of sense to me that they would make vehicles. Stick to phones and computers and similar forms of technology. Perhaps Apple could aid other companies in the technology field relating to EVs.
RSG in the News This Week
Read more trending topics in the news this week:
Must Listen Or Watch RSG Content
Here are this week’s featured podcast episode and YouTube videos:
- RSG253: Getting Gig Workers Insurance/Benefits With GigEasy
- DoorDash Requiring Photo Of Receipt!? PLUS Best Practices
- Uber/Lyft Driver Lowered Expectations – No Control – What To Do?!
- Will Tip Signs = More Tips?!
- Make sure you Subscribe so you don’t miss out on future conversations and interviews!
