nothin Uber Bill Gets A Lyft | New Haven Independent

Uber Bill Gets A Lyft

Thomas Breen photos

New Haven Uber and Lyft drivers lobbying in Hartford.

Uber’s 37 percent bite.

Uber and Lyft drivers are one big step closer to taking home a larger share of each ride’s pay thanks to a favorable committee vote in Hartford.

That happened on Tuesday afternoon, when the state legislature’s Labor and Public Employees Committee voted nine to five in support of Senate Bill (S.B.) 969: An Act Concerning Basic Labor Standards for Transportation Network Company Drivers. 

Two dozen local Uber and Lyft drivers traveled to Hartford earlier this month to lobby in support of the bill, which would require Uber, Lyft, and other on-demand ride share services to pay their drivers at least 75 percent of the amount collected from passengers on any given completed ride. It would also restrict the companies’ own share to no more than 25 percent of the total amount of money collected by one of their drivers on a given day.

In written testimony submitted to the committee, Uber opposed the bill, arguing that it often pays drivers more per ride than what it receives from customers. An Uber spokesperson also warned that the passage of this bill could result in ride share drivers, who are not employees but independent contractors with Uber, having to pay thousands of dollars more per year in insurance payments currently covered by Uber.

Tuesday afternoon’s committee deliberations revolved around a debate between the Republican and Democratic members of the committee over whether the proposed bill would hurt customers, drivers, and the companies themselves through higher prices and fewer rides, or whether it would simply result in a fairer share of pay being distributed to the laborers of the ride share economy.

Watertown State Rep. Joe Poletta.

My concern here is that this is going to result in less work for drivers,” said Watertown State Rep. Joe Poletta. I really don’t believe in all honesty that this is going to help those it’s intended to help.” He said that customers will likely face higher fares, successful companies will face lower profits, and drivers will face fewer rides.

I think it’s going to result in higher fares and less work for the drivers,” he said.

New Haven State Rep. and Labor Committee Chair Robyn Porter.

New Haven and Hamden State Rep. Robyn Porter, House chair of the committee, disagreed. From her perspective, this bill is all about fairness.

I don’t think that people that provide a profit for companies should be treated in a way that doesn’t coincide or commiserate with the profits that the companies are receiving,” she said.

There should be equity,” she added. That’s the goal of the bill. In response to Perotta’s concern that the bill would in fact hurt the drivers, she referenced the four Uber drivers who testified in person before the committee earlier this month.

The drivers seem to think that this is something that would work and would answer some of the problems they’ve been having with the companies,” she said. And if Perotta is concerned about this bill hampering profits for Uber and Lyft, he should remember that this proposed bill arose from drivers’ concerns that their own profits have been hampered down” by the companies.

Porter said that committee members planned to meet with representatives from Uber and Lyft on Tuesday afternoon to talk with them directly about concerns they have with the proposed legislation.

Now out of committee, the bill advances to the full state House and Senate for review and a final vote.

The 2019 Agenda

Bill #StatusSummarySponsors
SB 431Committee DeniedTo reform the property tax system.Martin Looney
SB 788Committee DeniedTo create more revenue options for municipalities with a large percentage of properties that are exempt from property tax.Martin Looney, Juan Candelaria, Roland Lemar, Toni Walker, Robyn Porter, Al Paolillo, Michael DiMassa
SB 475Committee DeniedTo increase municipal revenue by raising the sales tax.Martin Looney
SB 454Committee DeniedTo create a more efficient educational system by consolidating small school districts.Martin Looney
SB 27Committee DeniedTo reduce prescription drug prices under the Medicaid program.Martin Looney
SB 30Committee DeniedTo prohibit copayment accumulator programs.Martin Looney
SB 34Committee DeniedTo prohibit the delivery, issuance for delivery or renewal of short-term health insurance policies in this state that do not provide coverage for essential health benefits.Martin Looney
SB 48Sent to the FloorTo require manufacturers of brand name prescription drugs to provide samples of such drugs to manufacturers of generic prescription drugs.Martin Looney
SB 32Committee DeniedTo establish a public health insurance option.Martin Looney
SB 1PassedTo create a paid family and medical leave program.Martin Looney, Gary Winfield
HB 5004Gov. SignedTo provide more economic security to Connecticut families by increasing the minimum fair wage.Robyn Porter, Juan Candelaria, Josh Elliott, Alphonse Paolillo, Michael D’Agostino, Michael DiMassa, Patricia Dillon, Roland Lemar, Toni Walker
SB 64Sent to the FloorTo prohibit an employer from coercing employees into attending or participating in meetings sponsored by the employer concerning the employer’s views on political or religious mattersMartin Looney
SB 496Attached to Different BillTo provide for the legalization, taxation and regulation of the retail sale, personal growth and recreational use of cannabis by individuals twenty-one years of age or older.Martin Looney, Gary Winfield
SB 25Sent to the FloorTo restore the electoral privileges of convicted felons who are on parole.Martin Looney
HB 6073Committee DeniedTo allow a housing authority to expand its area of operation to include high and very high opportunity census tracts within a thirty-mile radius.Roland Lemar
HB 5273Committee DeniedTo establish as of right multifamily housing zones within one-half mile of all fixed route transit stops.Roland Lemar
HB 5722Committee DeniedTo establish a public health insurance option.Roland Lemar, Pat Dillon, Josh Elliott
HB 5595Attached to Different BillTo authorize and regulate the sale and adult use of marijuana in this state.Juan Candelaria, Roland Lemar, Toni Walker, Robyn Porter, Pat Dillon, Josh Elliott
HB 6705Committee DeniedTo prohibit the Department of Correction from using solitary confinement in its facilities.Gary Winfield, Juan Candelaria, Roland Lemar, Toni Walker, Robyn Porter, Josh Elliott
HB 6715Committee DeniedTo eliminate cash bail.Robyn Porter, Josh Elliott
HB 7203Committee DeniedTo promote the safety of pedestrians by requiring motorists to grant the right-of-way to pedestrians who affirmatively indicate their intention to cross the road in a crosswalk.Cristin McCarthy Vahey
HB 6590Sent to the FloorTo allow local traffic authorities to establish lower speed limits on streets under their jurisdiction by holding a public hearing regarding such speed limits and providing notification of such speed limits to the Office of the State Traffic Administration.Julio Concepcion
HB 7141PassedTo define and regulate the use of electric foot scooters.Roland Lemar
HB 7205 Sent to the FloorTo require a percentage of the cars, light duty trucks and buses purchased or leased by the state be zero-emission vehicles or zero-emission buses, establish a Connecticut Hydrogen and Electric Automobile Purchase Rebate Program and fund such program.Roland Lemar
SB 969Committee DeniedTo provide basic labor standards for transportation network company drivers.Matt Lesser, Peter Tercyak

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