Today on AirTalk, we discuss why Uber and Lyft are threatening to close down operations in California. Also on the show, we learn more about Jose Huizar's corruption charges; answer your COVID-19 questions; and more.
Uber, Lyft Threaten Possible Shutdown In California Over Employee Classification
Rideshare companies Uber and Lyft say they’re prepared to temporarily shut down operations in California as soon as Friday.
The move comes after a California judge last week ordered the companies to classify drivers as employees instead of independent contractors— a shift that would guarantee benefits like overtime, sick leave and expense reimbursement for workers who make up much of the freewheeling gig economy. The ride-hailing companies were given until midnight this Friday to make the change.
Advocates praised the ruling as a milestone in their fight to apply traditional worker protections to a fast-growing segment of the labor force. But the companies criticized the decision, saying it threatens to shut them down during a pandemic-induced economic downturn where many people who have lost their jobs turn to the ride-hailing companies to make money.
The lawsuit was filed back in May by California Attorney General Xavier Becerra and the city attorneys of Los Angeles, San Diego and San Francisco under a new California law that says companies can only classify workers as contractors if they perform work “outside the usual course” of their business.
The law has wide-reaching implications across a number of sectors, but none more so than the ride-hailing industry. The companies have already challenged the law in federal court, where their efforts to stop it from taking effect have, so far, failed. And they have pledged to spend more than a hundred million dollars to support a ballot measure in November that, if approved by voters, would exempt them from the law.
With files from the Associated Press
Guests:
Carolyn Said, San Francisco Chronicle reporter covering business, tech and the on-demand economy; she tweets
Harry Campbell, founder of TheRideShareGuy.com, a blog, YouTube channel and podcast for rideshare drivers; he tweets
LAPD Chief Moore: DA Review, Breaking Up House Parties, Community Officer Program And More
Los Angeles Police Department Chief Michel Moore joins Larry Mantle for his monthly check-in on AirTalk. Topics discussed include:
LAPD continue to report coronavirus cases within their ranks - first officer dies due to the virus
DA flags hundred of cases involving officers falsifying evidence for review
House party crackdown - LAPPL says officers don’t want to be involved in utility cutoffs
Drop in community officer program participation
LAPPL says Chief should not have direct power to fire
Polls show CA voters support the police and need for reform
Guest:
Michel Moore, Chief of the Los Angeles Police Department; he tweets
Did L.A. Redistricting Play A Role In Jose Huizar’s Corruption Charges -- And How Should It Be Done In The Near Future?
In a recent L.A. Times op-ed, two former city council members, Bernard Parks and Jan Perry, argue redistricting in 2012 played into suspended councilmember Jose Huizar’s ability to benefit from the alleged acceptance of bribes.
At the end of July, a federal grand jury handed down a 34-count indictment against Huizar, charging, in part, that he led a criminal enterprise out of City Hall in which he “agreed to accept at least $1.5 million in illicit financial benefits.” Huizar represented District 14, which includes neighborhoods like Boyle Heights, Downtown L.A. and El Sereno. Parks and Perry, who represented the city’s 8th and 9th districts respectively, say the shuffling of districts landed Huizar with “a large swath of asset-rich downtown.” Parks and Perry call for a more independent process and more community input moving forward. Today on AirTalk, we discuss the historical impact of redistricting and what role it could play when lines are redrawn again next year. Do you have questions? Call 866-893-5722.
With files from LAist
Guests:
Jan Perry, former 9th District Los Angeles City Councilmember representing Downtown, Little Tokyo and south LA and former general manager of the city’s Economic & Workforce Development Department, she’s the co-author of an L.A. Times op-ed titled, “How Jose Huizar’s alleged crimes may have been aided by redistricting;” she tweets
Jonathan Mehta Stein, executive director of California Common Cause, a nonpartisan, grassroots organization that advocates for accountable government, equal rights/opportunities/representation and empowering voices to be heard; he tweets
Zev Yaroslavsky, director of Los Angeles Initiative at the UCLA Luskin School of Public Affairs and former L.A. County supervisor and city councilmember; he tweets
COVID-19 AMA: What The Next Reopening Could Look Like, Vaccine Update And More
In our continuing series looking at the latest medical research and news on COVID-19, Larry Mantle speaks with Dr. Dean Blumberg.
Topics today include:
With the outbreak slowing down in CA, officials consider what the next step in reopening might be like
Where are we at with the vaccine?
FDA put on hold its approval of an emergency plasma treatment for COVID-19
Australia makes deal for potential vaccine, says it will be provided free to all citizens
Australia’s PM walked back statement that vaccine will be mandatory
What do we know about ‘long-haulers’ - those who have struggled with COVID-19’s effects for many months?
The University of Notre Dame paused in-person classes for a few weeks after reports of COVID-19 cases
Guest:
Dean Blumberg, M.D., professor of medicine and chief of Pediatric Infectious Diseases at UC Davis Children’s Hospital
DJ Waldie’s New Book On The Myths And People Of Los Angeles
Any true Angeleno knows that L.A. isn’t just what you see in the movies; that in this “industry” town there are thousands of people living their normal lives, amid the backdrop of glamor, history and stereotype.
That’s one of the themes explored in “Becoming Los Angeles: Myth, Memory, and a Sense of Place”, the new book of essays from author D.J. Waldie.
Waldie ruminates on L.A.’s complicated past and all the different people, from immigrants to crooks to dreamers, who make up this city.
Guest:
D. J. Waldie, author and editor; his new book is “Becoming Los Angeles: Myth, Memory, and a Sense of Place” (Sept 2020, Angel City Press); he tweets