The National Labor Relations Board's general counsel ruled on Tuesday that U.S.-based Uber drivers are contractors, not legal "employees," meaning they are not entitled to federal protections for workplace organizing activities. The decision is seen as another move by a federal agency under the Trump administration to loosen up work classification regulations for employers, as the gig economy and reliance on freelance work expand.
The NLRB cited Uber drivers' "entrepreneurial opportunity" as a leading reason for its conclusion. "Drivers' virtually complete control of their cars, work schedules, and log-in locations, together with their freedom to work for competitors of Uber, provided them with significant entrepreneurial opportunity," the NLRB's Division of Advice wrote in a memo on the matter. Of course, it's apparent that a lot of Uber drivers would disagree with this notion, since many just went on strike to address issues regarding their pay and company transparency.
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