U.S. District Judge Robert Lasnik has issued a temporary restraining order blocking Seattle’s first-in-the-nation ordinance allowing rideshare drivers to unionize.
At the Sea-Tac airport waiting lot, many drivers want to join a union. Shamarke Goodir says he made less than $2 on a trip between Downtown Seattle and the Central District.
“We need to raise money because Seattle is too expensive. The rent is too expensive I pay $1,400, plus the insurance, plus my car payment so if I work 1(for) $1.60, it's not worth it,” Goodir said.
But Judge Lasnik blocked the ordinance Tuesday with a temporary restraining order, saying the rideshare business is “likely to be disrupted in fundamental and irreparable ways if the ordinance is implemented."
“If you have any concern, they say, 'Who cares? We're a $70 billion corporation. What are you going to do?'” Bachitter Dhillon said.
In a statement, Uber said, “We look forward to the court's full consideration of the many serious legal questions about this ordinance."
Some drivers oppose a union.
“The union was not here when Uber created the job, when Lyft created the job,” one driver said.
While the restraining order is a temporary setback for the drivers who support a union, the judge said “it should not be read as a harbinger of what the ultimate decision in this case will be.”