Uber and Lyft say the battle over AB-5 is about preserving flexibility for part-time gig workers. The reality is their businesses have become dependent on full-time drivers and they can't afford to pay them like employees.
"As these companies went to IPO, they used drivers as the bank account ... so that they could look better for investors," Nicole Moore, a part-time Lyft driver and volunteer organizer for Rideshare Drivers United. "We lost 25% to 40% of our income last year, and we're way below minimum wage."
"My cost of benefits and everything from Social Security to unemployment to workers' compensation is about 20% of my payroll altogether," Will Coleman, CEO of Alto, a ride-hailing company that hires both full- and part-time drivers as employees, told Business Insider. "We believe the status quo for drivers isn't good enough which is why we are actively advocating for new benefits and protections," an Uber spokesperson told Business Insider, referencing CEO Dara Khosrowshahi's recent calls for "portable benefit" funds that companies like Uber and Lyft would contribute to.
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