Letter: ‘Haves’ are hiring ‘have-nots’ to take the risk for them

For people with money, there is a ready pool of starving Lyft and Uber drivers, now out of work.

‘Haves’ hiring ‘have-nots’
to take the risk for them

Re: “Instacart has hired 300,000 workers” (Page C9, April 25):

It seems the “haves” class – those at home with a paycheck – can hire the “have-nots” to risk COVID-19 for them.

For people with money, there is a ready pool of starving Lyft and Uber drivers, now out of work and eligible for California state unemployment benefits but often hindered in obtaining them by legal challenges by their companies.

These are the people being forced to take today’s risky delivery jobs. Gig workers, exploited by big tech and consumers alike, continue to be exploited as independent contractors for Instacart and others.

Instacart is offering workers “safety kits” and it will give them 14 days of pay if they contract the virus or are placed into individual mandatory quarantine; but, if workers or their family members are hospitalized or die? Oh well.

The very least we can do is insist all delivery workers be classified as employees, per California AB 5, and receive worker protections similar to supermarket employees. Reminder: Tip well!

Laura Smith
Millbrae

 

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