Sign On: Open Letter to Gig Companies regarding Black Lives Matter
To executives at Uber, Lyft, DoorDash, Instacart, Postmates, and other gig companies:
We are the workers who power the core of your businesses and we write in response to your recent comments on the Black Lives Matter movement. Your statements have included various platitudes about your commitment to Racial Justice and the Black community. We are not fooled. Your lip service in support of Black Lives is completely hollow, created by well-paid public relations teams, and absent any promise of real change.
Racial justice is economic justice. The conditions that make police killings of black people possible and inevitable are the same conditions that make the exploitation of Black and brown workers possible and inevitable. We reject your attempts to separate racial justice from economic justice and we see it as an attempt to dodge your responsibility for the exploitation of your Black and brown workers everyday.
This fight is not only about police killings and terror — it is about every institution that exploits and abuses Black and brown people in this country. When it comes to exploiting Black and brown people, you and your companies are experts.
At the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, gig workers were faced with a devil’s choice: continue working despite a highly contagious and deadly virus or risk losing the roof over our heads and the ability to pay our bills. When we attempted to secure masks, hand sanitizer, paid sick time off, unemployment wages, and other protective measures we found obstacles, opaque processes, and hand wringing. We had to turn to outside organizations — and each other — for safety during the pandemic. Where were you then?
The Black gig workers who have been on the frontlines of this pandemic have been the hardest hit economically and the most likely to die from the virus, yet your companies have done nothing to ensure their welfare. There are stories of drivers who have lost their lives, yet your companies once again, were nowhere to be found. There are stories of drivers who have been exposed to COVID-19 yet too afraid to stop working for fear of financial ruin. Where were you then?
Before the COVID-19 pandemic, Black gig workers already faced discrimination and abuse on the job. Black gig workers already had no protection from racist consumers who file false complaints and do not tip. Black gig workers already found less support and more discrimination from staff meant to “support” us. Black gig workers already were subject to more policing and harassment from law enforcement on the job everyday. Where were you then?
The exploitation and extraction your companies rely on to turn profit is a Black issue. It is a crime for Black workers to make starvation wages while your executives walk away with millions if not billions. If you are committed to Black and brown lives — prove it.
We demand meaningful representation at work. We have no negotiating power on our earnings. We have no control over where we go or who we pick up, and we are disciplined and penalized if we exert control. We’re ruled completely by an algorithm, a remote taskmaster that dictates our daily lives. Give us the right to organize collectively at work.
We demand benefits to take care of ourselves and our families. Give us paid sick leave, give us our unemployment insurance, give us our healthcare so that we may live dignified, full lives working for your companies. Give us workers’ compensation and disability insurance if we are injured on the job, give us anti-discrimination protections and protections from retaliation.
We demand a living wage. We are responsible for all expenses associated with our labor. We have to work late-night hours, weekends, and holidays when most people are safely home or paid overtime for their work. We regularly make under minimum wage despite back breaking hours. Give us a living wage so that we can provide for ourselves and our families.
We demand that you drop your ballot measure. By moving forward with your ballot measure to exempt yourselves from AB5, you are not only sidestepping democracy, you are further ensuring that your workers will be kept in poverty with no protections, no benefits, no recourse, and no voice. Dropping your unjust and undemocratic ballot measure is the first step in the right direction.
If you respect Black lives, as your corporate statements so proudly declare, you will respect Black voices and listen to your workers when they say that enough is enough. All labor has dignity. All labor has worth. We demand that you respect ours.
Signed, (Link here to add your name in support & additional context below.)
Cherri M.
Amanda B.
Jesus Z.
Luz L.
John M.
Jose C.
Horacio Z.
Fidel A.
Sonia M.
Osvaldo O.
Alejandra P.
Dawit H.
Sharonda O.
Zahir O.
Cecil W.
Mariela G.
Dellvone A.
Pascual C.
Carlo G.
Asipesionau F.
Anna M.
El Hadji N.
Gabriel S.
H. Hadi
Vanessa O.
Jose C.
Antonio R.
Heidi L.
Darrell W.
JITaun T.
David R.
Jose O.
Heidi L.
Alan F.
Easton B.
Patricia C.
Roman F.
Sharnell S.
Agustin A.
Gurdeep S.
Amir E.
Salvador T.
Kelly K.
Jilmer C.
Telavuth C.
LaTonja N.
Lebi R.
Jose U.
William S.
Jose U.
Mark H.
James W.
Carmen G.
Tedros G.
Joaquin M.
Jose Guillermo B.
Iurii K.
Ramona G.
Michael Z.
Marvin A.
Alena P.
Yajaira S.
Alexis Daniel C.
Martha F.
Angel P.
Glen M.
Mohamedelamin A.
Eduardo A.
Mandla B.
Toufik S.
Khurelbaatar J.
Alena P.
Fred J.
Harminder M.
Kefyalew S.
Girma T.
Maung A.
Telavuth C.
Leonardo D.
Edan A.
Clarence C.
Wanchun Y.
Cesar P.
Jose Guillermo B.
Eleno C.
Cesar Z.
Maria B.
Joe V.
Michelle M.
Eric S.
Joe B.
Vanessa O.
Abu K.
Dom D.
Danilo L.
Rashad H.
Abdelghafour B.
Mamadou N.
Bindu C.
Eric M.
Yajaira S.
Catherine L.
Breana B.
Oliver A.
Abdoul S.
Rahmatulla K.
Raj K.
Alejandra P.
Lee W.
Candice B.
Mike T.
Robert C.
Corey T.
Roman F.
Dewitt B.
Robert L.
Mariela G.
Marvin A.
Farouk K.
Cassia S.
Andre S.
Enrique D.
Mark S.
Sandhya J.
Kate M.
Allison T.
Grace G.
Erica J.
Manuel C.
Jose P.
Wahb A.
Wahb J.
Katy L.
Amy W.
Rev. Dan A.
Hector G.
Carol R.
Paula R.
Rui H.
David R.
Sirena M.
Bella W.
J Adrian C.
Kimberly H.
Shivani S.
Soufiane S.
Cagdas K.
Danny T.
Nichola T.
Douglas T.
Jesus A.
Frank M.
Samuel N.
Brenda N.
Abdul Hamid A.
Judith S.
Bethsaida R.
Agustin A.
Abbas J.
Shelly S.
Elizabeth S.
Sergio M.
Michael J.
James P.
Jesse B.
Victorino N.
Paul B.
Manuel M.
Tom L.
Charlie A.
Fiona B.
Charles J.
Jesse B.
Rasheda J.
Muad A.
Claudia N.
Michelle P.
Brenda N.
Jum S.
Delong K.
Sadiq A.
Ezekiel K.
James W.
Steven S.
Cecilio M.
Eric S.
Lillian G.
Cecilio M.
Marvin A.
Edenilson M.
Alan R.
Ely M.
Rasheda J.
Saul N.
David Anthony J.
Emmanuel N.
E. D.
Dave L.
Ramelo V.
Riqui M.
Riqui F.
Ahmed N
Andrew B.
Marge S.
Maxwell A.
Rocheall P.
Paris M.
Megan C.
Mukhtiar S.
JD D.
Sandeep K.
Jeffrey S.
Cynthia M.
Cat Z.
Eliot K.
Michael J.
Leonardo D.
Quiana W.
Mai D.
Yajaira S.
Lia S.
Fred J.
Yongchang W.
Eugene T.
Sherri R.
Jason T.
Tano M.
Hariram S.
Gary H.
Brian H.
Abdulfatah G.
Angela V.
Zouhair H.
Farid H.
Karim O.
Kamruj J.
Bienvenido N.
Hicham E.
Milly S.
Ma’en A.
Mahmoud A.
Ira W.
Mohammad W.
Mohammad A.
Rana Faraz A.
Omar H.
Abdolghader T.
Samuel Y.
Fadi M.
Hatem B.
Mohamed M.
Anjum A.
Shahid J.
Sam S.
Gulzar H.
Said R.
Atif S.
Adrienne R.
Mouhnd A.
Geri A.
Afred H.
Syed N.
Karim T.
Abdeljalal A.
Maria L.
Omar H.
Karim T.
Gulam M.
Mekbib G.
Omar H.
Ehab E.
Michael R.
Muhamed I.
Yasar K.
Adberrahim I.
Bill O.
Key H.
Soulfiane S.
No K.
Elsayab M.
Ross A.
Frank O.
Samir F.
Jonathan R.
Mari C.
Brian H.
Mutawakilu M.
Cecilia L.
Kenan S.
Adil M.
Pam S.
Florentino M.
Freddy I.
Danny H.
James P.
Ana N.
Samuel R.
Jaime M.
Elmisawi H.
Antonio G.
Aaron J.
Joseph K.
Abdul A.
Danell W.
Fareed A.
Bhupa P.
Ibrahim K.
Kirill I.
Homayoon T.
Bryant H.
Mateusz C.
John T.
Luis Arturo R.
Nashwa K.
Ray T.
Tej Prasad S.
Eric B.
Amr Y.
Sijan P. Mohamed W.
Curtis C.
Tyler S.
Hassen T.
Adirije E.
Louis D. A.
Ivan O.
Jorge M.
Ricardo L.
Maricela L.
Franklin E.
Hatim B.
Jose C.
Mohammad S.
Virender R.
Omer A.
Nashwa K.
Esmat A.
Oneykachi E.
Ursula C.
Doran M.
Would you like to add your name in support? Fill out the form below to add your name. This sign-on letter is open to all — drivers, gig workers, full-time company employees, and consumers.
https://forms.gle/c5sxJm37bNK39zzw8
Disclaimer: your information will not be shared with the companies. Your first name and last initial will be signed on to the open letter in support.
