New York City simply seems like the latest city in what seems to be occurring in every major city in the United States: being home to an Uber lawsuit.
On Thursday, a group called the New York Taxi Workers Alliance filed a class action lawsuit against Uber, claiming that the ride-sharing company owes its drivers in the Big Apple minimum wage protection, overtime pay, and expense reimbursement.
An Uber spokesman called the lawsuit “a thinly veiled stunt.” The spokesman also criticized the alliance for only bringing up a lawsuit for its Uber workers, rather than also including other ride-sharing and taxi services.
It is important to note that the New York Taxi Workers Alliance also filed a separate complaint with the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) over legally-binding arbitration agreements that Uber’s independent contractors are forced to sign that do not allow them to file a class action suit.
The New York Taxi Workers Alliance has previously voiced their opinion on how ride-sharing independent contractors are treated, criticizing a recent deal between another union and Uber that it felt would be unfair.
It has called Uber’s business practices “a race to the bottom,” and said that they violate state and federal employment laws.
Previous cities or places that have sued, banned, or otherwise had issues Uber at some point include Austin, TX; Seattle; Houston; Portland, OR; and the entire state of Nevada. It should be mentioned that this isn’t Uber’s first run-in with the law in New York.
