THEY FEEL DECEIVED, GUYS?
>> MOLLY HUNTER, THANK YOU SO
MUCH.
>>> MEANWHILE, BACK IN THE
UNITED STATES, THE WHITE HOUSE
STEPPING UP ITS EFFORTS TO MAKE
IT EVEN EASIER TO GET THE COVID
VACCINE.
THEYRE ANNOUNCEING A PARTNERSHI
WITH UBER AND LYFT TO SUPPLY
FREE RIDES TO AND FROM VACCINE
APPOINTMENTS THROUGH THE FORTYUR
OF JULY.
HERE TO EXPLAIN MORE, TALK ABOUT
THAT AND MORE, UBERS CEO.
GOOD TO HAVE YOU BACK, SIR.
THANKS FOR YOUR TIME THIS
MORNING.
IT SOUNDS LIKE A FANTASTIC IDEA.
THE SERVICE STARTS TODAY THROUGH
UBER.
WALK US THROUGH HOW THIS IS
GOING TO WORK FOR FOLKS WHO ARE
GETTING VACCINATED, AND HOW MUCH
CONSIDERATION WENT INTO THIS
DECISION TO SIGN ON?
>> ABSOLUTELY.
WELL, I THINK STARTING WITH THE
CONSIDERATION, WE ALL HAVE TO
STEP UP AND WORK TOGETHER TO
MOVE ON FROM COVID.
WHAT WE REALLY WERE FOCUSED ON
IS THAT ONLY 7% OF 18 TO
24-YEAR-OLDS AND 17% OF 25 TO
39-YEAR-OLDS HAVE GOTTEN THE
VACCINE AT THIS POINT.
I THINK ALL OF US HAVE TO COME
TOGETHER TO ENCOURAGE FOLKS TO
GET OUT.
WE WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT THE
ABILITY TO GET A RIDE DOESNT
GET IN THE WAY OF SOMEONES
ABILITY TO GET A VACCINE.
SO YOU CAN GO TO UBER NOW.
WE HAVE A LITTLE VACCINE TAB.
ESSENTIALLY, YOU CAN GET INTO
WHAT WE CALL THE VACCINE HUB.
YOU PUT IN YOUR ZIP CODE.
ESSENTIALLY, WE GIVE YOU A FREE
RIDE TO A PHARMACY OR
SUPERMARKET OR A PROVIDER, WHICH
WE COVER, POET THEBOTH THE FREE
THE PROVIDER AND A FREE RIDE
BACK.
WE THINK WITH THAT PARTNERSHIP
WITH THE WHITE HOUSE, WE CAN
REALLY STEP UP AND ALL OF US CAN
HELP GET PAST THIS AND GET BACK
TO NORMAL AGAIN.
>> THATS A GOOD IDEA.
I SHOULD ASK, WERE FINALLY
STARTING TO SEE PEOPLE GATHERING
WITH FRIENDS AND FAMILY.
SOME PEOPLE ARE COMMUTING BACK
TO WORK.
HAVE YOU HAD A DIFFICULT TIME
HIRING MORE DRIVERS?
YOU KNOW, MY FAMILY IS IN
KANSAS, AND THERES A PART OF
THE CITY WHERE WE TRIED TO ORDER
A CAR AND THERE WERE NO CARS
AVAILABLE.
I LIVE IN NEW YORK CITY, SO ID
NEVER SEEN THAT BEFORE.
WHAT IS THE POST-PANDEMIC
STRATEGY WHEN IT COMES TO
DRIVERS?
>> NUMBER ONE REASON DRIVERS
WERE WORRIED ABOUT COMING BACK
TO THE PLATFORM WAS SAFETY.
WHAT WERE SEEING NOW IS THAT AS
MORE AND MORE OF THE POPULATION
IS GETTING VACCINATED, DRIVERS
ARE COMING BACK TO THE PLATFORM.
THE EARNINGS OPPORTUNITIES TO
DRIVE RIGHT NOW ARE ABSOLUTELY
DYNAMITE.
SLOWLY BUT SURELY, WERE SEEING
DRIVERS RETURN.
WHEN YOU ASK FOR THE UBER, YOU
GET IT WITHIN FIVE MINUTES, JUST
THE WAY YOUVE BEEN USED TO.
>> LETS TALK ABOUT THE FUTURE
OF UBER AND RIDESHARE COMPANIES.
LAST WEEK, STATE REGULATORS IN
CALIFORNIA APPROVED NEW RULES
REQUIRING THAT THEY TRANSITION
TO ELECTRIC CARS BY 2030.
HOW IS PROGRESS GOING ON THAT?
>> WELL, WE ARE ALL IN ON GOING
ELECTRIC.
WEVE COMMITTED TO GETTING TO
100% OF OUR RIDES ZERO EMISSION
BY 2030 IN THE U.S. AND EUROPE.
BY 2040 ALL OVER THE WORLD.
I THINK ALL OF US KNOW THAT WITH
THIS NEW GENERATION OF ELECTRIC
CARS, WE CAN MAKE SURE THAT
TRANSPORTATION DOESNT POLLUTE.
WE WANT TO PLAY A BIG PART OF
THAT.
SO WERE ACTUALLY PUTTING UP
$800 MILLION ESSENTIALLY IN
PAYMENTS OVER THE NEXT FIVE
YEARS TO ALLOW OUR DRIVERS TO
TRANSITION OVER TO HYBRID OR
ELECTRIC CARS.
WE THINK IT IS GREAT FOR THE
ENVIRONMENT AND, ULTIMATELY,
ITLL BE BETTER FOR SERVICE, AS
WELL.
>> DARA, AS YOU KNOW, GIG
WORKERS BECOME A LARGER PART OF
THE LABOR FORCE IN THIS COUNTRY
AND OVERSEAS.
EARLIER THIS MONTH, THE U.S.
DEPARTMENT OF LABOR, THEY
WITHDREW THIS RULE THAT MADE IT
EASIER FOR GIG WORKERS, LIKE
DRIVERS, TO BE CLASSIFIED AS
INDEPENDENT CONTRACTORS INSTEAD
OF EMPLOYEES WITH WORK BENEFITS.
WHAT IS THE PLAN IF THERE IS A
PUSH FOR A POLICY CHANGE IN THIS
COUNTRY ON A FEDERAL LEVEL?
>> WELL, I THINK THAT MOST OF
THE POLICY WE SEE HAPPENING IS
REALLY HAPPENING ON A STATE
LEVEL.
FOR EXAMPLE, PROPOSITION 22 IN
CALIFORNIA PROVIDED THAT DRIVERS
CAN BE INDEPENDENT CONTRACTORS,
BUT THEY GET BENEFITS, AS WELL.
WE HAVE ACTUALLY GONE OUT THERE
AND ASKED THEM, WHAT DO THEY
THINK, NOW THAT PROP 22 IS IN
EFFECT?
WOULD THEY RATHER BE INDEPENDENT
CONTRACTORS WITH BENEFITS, OR
WOULD THEY RATHER BE EMPLOYEES?
RESOUNDINGLY, 84% OF THEM SAID
THEY WOULD RATHER BE IN THE
INDEPENDENT CONTRACTORS WITH
BENEFITS.
IT GIVES THEM THE FREEDOM TO
DRIVE WHEN THEY WANT, WHERE THEY
WANT, AND ALSO TO HAVE EARNINGS
THRESHOLDS.
FEEL THE SAFETY THAT YOU DO IN
TERMS OF BEING OUT THERE AND
ALSO EARNING.
>> SURE.
>> SO WE ARE HAVING THAT
DIALOGUE ON A STATE BY STATE
LEVEL WITH OTHER STATES BECAUSE,
CLEARLY, PROP 22 IS A WIN FOR
DRIVERS.
HOPEFULLY, THAT DIALOGUE CAN GET
TO THIS NEW MODEL, WHICH IS
INDEPENDENT CONTRACTOR AND
PROTECTIONS.
YOU CAN HAVE YOUR FREEDOM, BE
YOUR OWN BOSS, AND YOU CAN HAVE
PROTECTIONS, AS WELL.
>> GREAT.