In a letter to CEOs of DoorDash, Grubhub, Instacart, and Uber, Senator Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.) called on the employers to provide gig workers with "basic rights and protections" as they perform "essential delivery work."
"Delivery workers are risking their health to keep Americans fed during this crisis," Senator Elizabeth Warren (D-MA) told Cheddar Wednesday, regarding her push to re-classify members of the gig economy as employees.
Numerous workers currently are protesting treatment by large companies, arguing that they are not adequately protected during the pandemic when many Americans are staying home to keep safe.
Instacart shoppers launched a nationwide strike Monday to demand hazard pay and health protection, and Amazon workers at a warehouse on Staten Island, New York, walked out in response to the company's handling actions. Amazon-owned Whole Foods employees held a nationwide strike on Tuesday by calling out sick to protest what they said is a lack of protections.
The debate over classifying delivery or gig workers as employees rather than independent contractors is not new, but Warren said the current crisis crystallizes the need for these protections.
"They perform essential delivery work, and they are critical to serving customers who can't leave home," she said. "These companies have a responsibility to protect their workers' health and to protect the public health."
Warren said if they were classified as employees, they would be granted basic workers' rights like paid sick leave and minimum wage.
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Disney content has gone dark on YouTube TV, leaving subscribers of the Google-owned live streaming platform without access to major networks like ESPN and ABC. That’s because the companies have failed to reach a new licensing deal to keep Disney channels on YouTube TV. Depending on how long it lasts, the dispute could particularly impact coverage of U.S. college football matchups over the weekend — on top of other news and entertainment disruptions that have already arrived. In the meantime, YouTube TV subscribers who want to watch Disney channels could have little choice other than turning to the company’s own platforms, which come with their own price tags.
President Donald Trump said he has decided to lower his combined tariff rates on imports of Chinese goods to 47% after talks with Chinese leader Xi Jinping on curbing fentanyl trafficking.
Universal Music Group and AI platform Udio have settled a copyright lawsuit and will collaborate on a new music creation and streaming platform. The companies announced on Wednesday that they reached a compensatory legal settlement and new licensing agreements. These agreements aim to provide more revenue opportunities for Universal's artists and songwriters. The rise of AI song generation tools like Udio has disrupted the music streaming industry, leading to accusations from record labels. This deal marks the first since Universal and others sued Udio and Suno last year. Financial terms of the settlement weren't disclosed.
