Biden makes a deal with Uber and Lyft on behalf of Vaccines

Joe Biden has it he has only been president for four months, but has already been hailed as a pro-workers leader in the country since Franklin Delano Roosevelt appeared in 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue. He wants to facilitate they would unionize workers and raise the national minimum wage to $ 15. Opposition to the proposal 22, which allowed concert platforms like the California nominee vote Uber, Elevator, and DoorDash to continue to treat their employees as independent contractors. In March, he stepped back du (convicted) union unit in an Amazon warehouse in Bessemer, Alabama. “Unions put power in the hands of workers,” he said at the time. “They level the playing field.”

On Tuesday, however, Biden frustrated some employee advocates when he announced a deal with travel companies Uber and Lyft to take more Americans to vaccination sites — despite their reluctance with their business model. The program, which will begin on May 24, will take users to nearby vaccination sites for applications and will track $ 15 routes in both directions. Lyft says that based on previous routes to vaccination sites, it expects to cover the fare to “most, if not all” commutes to that site.

It seems that Biden has other priorities and a self-imposed deadline: Americans want to feel safe for the fourth of July grills usually. The White House has set a goal of achieving at least 70 percent of U.S. adults Covid-19 filmed for the summer holidays. At this time, 59% of Americans have received at least one dose of vaccine, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

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“Vaccination is the key to moving us all back, and we are proud of the work we have done to move the country forward,” Lyft co-founder and president John Zimmer said in a statement. Uber CEO Dara Khosrowshahi called the partnership “a proud moment for me, Uber and our people”.

Entrepreneurial workers said on Tuesday that the agreement contradicted the White House with certain principles in itself. “If this administration has done something right, it will not make good predictions when it comes to enforcement actions,” says Veena Dubal, a professor of labor law at UC Hastings Law College.

So far, the Democratic administration has expressed support for changing the rules on employee classification, warmly. Today, all states allow companies like Uber and Lyft to treat their drivers and shippers as independent contractors, as they can sign in to the app at any time but are not entitled to regular benefits such as health insurance and workers ’compensation. Last week, Labor Secretary Marty Walsh he told Reuters, “In many cases, concert staff must be classified as employees.” He He was named David Weil, A former Obama nominee and Uber critic, to head the department’s pay and hours division. The Department of Labor also last week repealed workers ’advocates feared the Trump administration’s rule would be used to maintain the status of an independent contractor for contract workers. The department did not respond to a request for comment.

If the CDC has it he determined the lack of transportation people, and especially vulnerable populations, as a factor in preventing vaccination. After listening to this year’s sessions with local groups and agencies, agency is recommended governments work with community and faith-based organizations, Medicaid and Medicare programs, transportation companies, and ride-hail services to launch weapons. Some cities, states and transport agencies they already offer a free transportation program to vaccination sites.