Forty years later, Katie Quan still vividly remembers the pivotal garment workers strike in New York City’s Chinatown. Quan, who was 29 at the time, was one of the key organizers of the strike, in which more than 20,000 workers — most of them Chinese-born women — marched to Columbus Park on June 24, 1982, refusing to work and demanding higher wages and benefits.
“Our health insurance system, which is primarily tied to employment, is not financed in a way that’s progressive,” said Laurel Lucia. “Low-wage workers who get coverage through their jobs pay a much higher percentage of their income than middle- and higher-income workers.”
Putting more money in the hands of workers could boost economic activity at a time when it is flagging. It could also help taxpayers.
Drivers are only compensated when they’re fulfilling a ride request, not when they’re waiting for one, [so] the actual average pay for total time spent in the car is only $5.64 per hour.
If Uber won’t follow the rules, it should move over and make space for companies that will.
