The Twilight of Corporate Trust
Lessons from Amazon’s latest battle with Walmart
In addition to politicians, Californians get to vote directly on legislation. Propositions, as they are known, appear on official Golden State ballots every election.
I called a friend of mine in California last year, right before the election. “So, what are your opinions on these propositions this year?” I asked.
My friend doesn’t follow politics like I do. “I’m not sure,” he responded. After a second, he added, “but that Uber one, I’m against that. They want their workers to be employees…or contractors…I forget. But whatever they want, I’m doing the opposite.”
Proposition 22 sought to classify gig workers — like those who work for Uber, Lyft, or DoorDash — as “independent contractors,” not regular employees. While such a distinction appears insignificant, these corporations could now deny their workers benefits such as a minimum wage or healthcare.
These particular companies, none of which have even really turned a profit yet, opened their war chest and dumped over $200 million in support of the proposition. Lobbying and marketing don’t come cheap.
Californians ended up passing the proposition to the delight of these companies. But I will always remember my friend’s reaction. He…
