Wednesday, March 25, 2015

NEVADA LEGISLATURE

COMMITTEE ON COMMERCE, LABOR AND ENERGY

Room 2135 of the Legislative Building, 401 S. Carson St., Carson City, NV.

S.B. 439 Provides for the permitting and regulation of transportation network
companies.
RE:

Senators,
I respectfully request a moment of your time regarding the Bill noted above regarding For Hire
Drivers and Ride Share Network Services. Please excuse me if this is not the proper method of
bringing this topic to your attention, but I believe it very important.
Currently in many States Ride-Hail/Ride Share Drivers working for Uber, specifically the UberX
Platform are subjected to earnings that are well below any of the States minimum wages while
Uber actually receives more earnings than the Driver on the fares earned by the Driver. Uber has
made claims that the Uber Drivers are making excellent hourly wages and uses selective data
mining practices and omits including information that is required to make such claim.
Uber claims they have made over 162,000 jobs in communities across the US and boasts that
these jobs are quality jobs earning a reasonable income. Sadly this is not actually the truth. Since
last year Uber has reduced rates significantly in most major cities nation-wide, and reducing these
relative jobs to low paying and unstable, many not earning the minimum wage they would be paid
if paid as an Employee.
Many people contend that if the driver unhappy with the compensation, he should find another job,
but that does not correct the impact Uber has upon the American Worker. Many of Ubers Drivers
are from the unemployed, minorities, or people that believed Uber when they said that Uber
Drivers could make reasonable earnings working with them. The facts are some of us have
dumped good paying jobs, invested in brand new cars at exorbitant interest rates to work as a
Uber Partners only to discover Uber would leave us unable to even make enough earnings to pay
the car payments.
I ask but one thing of you, please take a moment to ensure your Bill does not allow Uber to come
into your communities and make drivers work for a rate that will not provide a decent job for your
community and a reasonable wage for the Driver and his/her family. As I know little of how to write
a Bill, I have no idea how you can ensure this except by putting a bottom on the amount of the
rates Drivers are paid. Were it San Francisco, CA. I would recommend the rate not be less than
$4.00 base, $2.00 per mile, $0.25 per minute. I have no idea the comparable rate for your State,
but I assure you that should not a bottom be set, your State will be subjected to the reality a few
months into the future that Uber has made a large amount of poverty level jobs that are supported
by your Welfare services. This Country needs strong stable jobs not trickery by Uber that leaves
the Worker broke and angry.
The Association represented on the letterhead is presently being formed to try to find a way to fix
the abuses to the Workers by Uber in numerous States where no such legislation has been made,
leaving the Workers at the mercy of Ubers unfair practices. As most States do not provide Labor

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Board style protections for Independent Contractors, there is little we will be able to do except
disrupt services by picketing style demonstrations or going on strike. We are still selecting our
Board and Association Officers and it is not going to be an easy task to get our membership to
significant numbers to oppose Uber, but some day in the future, it will happen.
I thank you for your time and consideration in this matter. Should you wish to contact me directly, I
can be reached by telephone at 510-940-5962 or by email to richbrunelle@live.com . I suggest
you view web sites such as UberPeople.net Uber Drivers FaceBook Group Uber Drivers FB Group
San Francisco and US RIDE-HAIL DRIVER'S ASSOCIATION if you would like to see evidence of
my claims.

Thank You,

Richard W Brunelle

Richard Brunelle, President

US RIDE-HAIL DRIVERS ASSOCIATION
1552 167TH Ave #B
San Leandro, CA 94578
510-490-5962

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