Uber Class - Action Lawsuit CALIFORNIA - Drivers read this!

Amidst much turmoil between big rideshare apps, a judge in California has set a trial date and agreed in favor of independent contractors arguments who feel they should be compensated more fairly and treated as employees.  Employees are due the gratuity they deserve, crucial benefits, fare wages, and payment for some vehicle maintenance expenses.


Are you an Uber driver in California?  Do you recall quickly clicking accept to Uber's latest policy changes on Friday Dec. 11 JUST so that you could get on the road and start driving?  I bet you didn't read the FINEPRINT that discusses the recent developments in an on-going lawsuit against the company and that by accepting the new policy, you are also signing an arbitration agreement preventing you from signing onto the lawsuit.  It is easier and cheaper for Uber to have thousands of individual lawsuits rather than a class-action.  This is because no one has the time or money to get their own lawyer for one thing.

Here is a timeline :
2014 - Uber changed the driver agreement to add an arbitration clause that removed the driver's right to sue the company.

3/11/15 - Federal Judge Edward M. Chen in San Fran denied Uber's motion for summary judgment and set a trial before a jury.

Wednesday 12/9/15, the federal judge in San Fran threw out the 2014 agreement.  Now, all of the 160,000 drivers who have worked for Uber in California since 2009 can be included in the class-action.

Friday, 12/11/15 - Uber issued new language to driver agreements that forces drivers to resolve disputes in private and not be part of the class-action.

In 2 days, Thursday 12/17/15 - Shannon Liss-Riordan, the Boston Attorney leading the case against Uber is filling and emergency motion to stop Uber's from enforcing Friday's agreement.

IMPORTANT!   Word online is that drivers MUST email optout@uber.com to preserve their right to be part of future class-action lawsuits.  Drivers have 30 days to email out of the mandatory arbitration.

For more info, check my sources : uberlawsuit.com (where you can obtain a form to be added to the list), MotherJones.com, Uber.com and the plethora of reports coming out about this!