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RASIER,LLC
1455MARKETSTREET
SANFRANCISCO,CA94103
BrookeSteger
GeneralManager
brooke@uber.com
February24,2016
FredPodesta
Director,FinanceandAdministrativeServices
SeattleMunicipalTower
7005thAve
Suite5200
Seattle,WA98104
Re:RulemakingUnderOrdinanceNumber124968
DearMr.Podesta:
UberUSA,LLCandRasier,LLC(collectively,Uber)writetosetoutfourkey
principlesthatwebelieveshouldguidetheDepartmentofFinanceandAdministrativeServices
(FAS)asitinitiatestherulemakingrequiredbyrecentlyenactedOrdinanceNumber124968
(Ordinance)relatingtocollectivebargainingbyindependentcontractorforhiredriversin
Seattle.1
OnlybyfocusingonwhatmattersmostcanFASsuccessfullyensurethatitsrulesallow
alldriverstotomakeaninformedchoiceaboutrepresentation.WhileUberlooksforwardto
workingwithFASintherulemakingtocome,FASshouldadoptthefollowingfourcore
principlestoensurefairnessindecisionsthatwillimpactthelivelihoodofthousands:
Everyaffecteddrivershouldhavetherighttovote.
Everyaffecteddrivershouldbefullyinformedbeforevoting.
Everyvoteshouldbefairlycounted.
FASshouldlooktotheNationalLaborRelationsBoard(NLRB)rulesandcaselaw
forguidanceinitsrulemaking.
EveryAffectedDriverShouldHavetheRighttoVote
FASmustensurethatitsrulesembodythequintessentialAmericanprincipleof
oneperson,onevote:
Every
forhiredriverinSeattleshouldhaveavoiceindeterminingthe
1
Ubercontinuestobelievethattheordinanceasenactedisunlawfulunderbothstateandfederallaw.Nothingin
thislettershouldbeconstruedasawaiverbyUberofitsrighttochallengetheordinancetothecontrary,Uber
expresslyreservesitsrighttoassertallofitsclaimsanddefensesagainsttheCitytothefullextentauthorizedby
federalandstatelaw.
UBERUSA,LLC
RASIER,LLC
1455MARKETSTREET
SANFRANCISCO,CA94103
BrookeSteger
GeneralManager
brooke@uber.com
exclusiverepresentativeofalldriversinterests.
FASisempoweredtodeterminewhocounts
asaqualifyingdriverandcanvoteforanExclusiveDriverRepresentative(EDR).Seattle
Muni.Code6.310.110.
TheordinanceauthorizestheEDRtoactasthesoleandexclusive
representativeof
all
forhiredriversoperatingwithintheCityforaparticulardrivercoordinator.
Id.
(emphasisadded).AlldriverswhoareeligibletoprovideforhireservicesinSeattleandwho
willberepresentedbyanEDRincollectivebargainingshouldthereforebeabletovoteforor
againstanentityseekingtobecomeanEDRtorepresentthemanddirectlyaffecttheirabilityto
earnaliving.
AllowingallforhiredriversavoiceinselectinganEDRisfullyconsistentwiththe
Ordinance.Initspreamble,theOrdinancestatesthatitspurposeistoensuresafeandreliable
forhireandtaxicabtransportationservice.Forthatreason,whendeterminingwhoshouldbe
qualifiedtovote,FASmustconsideranyfactorsthatindicateadriversworkissignificant
enoughtoaffectthesafetyandreliabilityofforhiretransportation.
Id.
Anydriverwhois
eligibletoprovideforhireservicesinSeattlecouldaffectsafetybecauseheorshecantakea
forhiretripatanytime.ThisispreciselywhySeattlesforhirerulesrequiresafetymeasures
likedriverbackgroundchecksandvehicleinspectionstooccur
before
adrivercantakeevena
singletrip.Moreover,thereliabilityofforhiretransportationisdirectlyaffectedbyalldrivers,
includingthosewhodriveonlyinfrequently.Forexample,inthetransportationnetwork
companymodel,itispreciselythoselessfrequentdriverswhocanmeethigherdemandand
ensurereliabilityatbusytimeslikeweekendeveningsoronNewYearsEve.
Ensuringthatalldrivershaveanopportunitytovoteisalsofullyconsistentwiththe
approachtakenbytheNLRBfordecades.UndertheNLRBrulesandcaselaw,thestandard
approachisthat
all
employeeswhoaresubjecttothetermsofanycollectivebargaining
agreementincludinganobligationtopayunionduesasaconditionofemploymentare
eligibletovoteinaunionelection.Thereisoftenavigorousdebateaboutthesizeandscopeof
thebargainingunit,butthesetofindividualswhocanvoteisalwayscoextensivewiththesetof
individualssubjecttothenegotiatedagreement.Thisisbecauseeveryaffectedworkershould
haveavoiceinchoosingarepresentative.
EveryAffectedDriverShouldbeFullyInformedBeforeVoting
AnelectedEDRwillnegotiaterulesthatcoulddirectlyaffectthelivelihoodofthousands
ofdrivers.EntitiesseekingtobecomeanEDRwillhavetheopportunitytomakethecasefor
whydriversshouldchoosethem,butshouldalsoprovideotherrelevantinformation.Ata
minimum,FASshouldrequirethesepotentialEDRstoinformdriversaboutthefollowing:(1)
anyduesadriverwilloweapotentialEDR(2)thedetailsofapotentialEDRsbylawsandits
officers(3)anypendingorrecentlegalclaimsagainstapotentialEDRand(4)thestateofa
2
UBERUSA,LLC
RASIER,LLC
1455MARKETSTREET
SANFRANCISCO,CA94103
BrookeSteger
GeneralManager
brooke@uber.com
potentialEDRsfinances.Driversshouldalsobeguaranteedtheabilitytoparticipateinthe
governanceoftheEDRtoensurethatitreflectsthedriversconcernsandnotmerelytheEDRs.
EveryVoteShouldbeFairlyCounted
FASshouldensurethatstatementsofinterestsubmittedbydriversarevalidandverified.
UndertheOrdinance,FASmustdeterminebyrulethestandardsandproceduresforsubmitting
andverifyingstatementsofinterestbyqualifyingdrivers.SeattleMuni.Code6.310.735.F.1.
TheOrdinancecallsforsubmissionofwrittenstatementsofinterestbydriversratherthansecret
ballotvote.Thus,itisimperativethatFASvalidatethestatementsofinterestandensurethey
accuratelyreflectthewillofthedrivers.Toensurethateverydriversvoiceisheard,FASshould
closelyscrutinizeandcounteachindividualstatement.Techniqueslikesignatureverification
againstdriverslicensescanhelpassurethatthewillofthedriversisreflectedinthevoting
process.
FASShouldLooktotheNLRBRulesandCaseLawforGuidanceinitsRulemaking
FAShasmeremonthstocompletearulemakingaddressingallaspectsofcollective
bargainingforforhiredriversinSeattle.Bycontrast,theNLRBhasdevelopedits
comprehensivesetofrulesgoverningunionelectionsandcollectivebargainingamongcovered
employeesoverthe80yearssinceCongressenactedthefederalNationalLaborRelationsAct.
TheNLRBsRulesandRegulationsalonetakeupthreevolumesandprovide160pagesof
detailedrulesforpracticebeforetheagency.FASshouldleveragetheexistingand
wellunderstoodNLRBrulesandusethemasguidepostsasitdevelopsregulationstoimplement
theOrdinance.
Welookforwardtoengagingintheupcomingrulemakingtoensurethatalldriverscan
makeafullyinformedchoiceaboutrepresentation.
Sincerely,
/s/BrookeSteger
BrookeSteger
GeneralManager