I write about tech for @nytimes & steward with @nyguild. 
Say hi: DM or kate.conger@nytimes.com.
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One of the promises of the gig economy was that it could provide flexible, quick work during an economic downturn. We looked at how that promise is changing during the pandemic. w/ @adamsatariano @mikeisaachttps://www.nytimes.com/2020/03/18/technology/gig-economy-pandemic.html …
Since Uber, Lyft, Doordash etc. were introduced, workers could turn to them after a layoff or during a financial emergency. The conditions weren't great, but you could lose your job today and be behind the wheel earning money by tomorrow. Now, that has changed drastically.
We talked to drivers who had made just these kinds of career shifts: a baker in S.F., a butcher in Milan. I met an Uber driver who started driving when shifts at his main job, with Marriott, dried up. Now he's pivoting again, trying food delivery, because no one is taking rides.
Drivers were gathering at airports, which have always been a consistent source of revenue. It was bleak. The waiting lot was closed off with cones because there were hundreds of drivers already waiting. Some were waiting for 2.5 hours (instead of a usual 20 min) for one $14 ride.
Wait time is unpaid. Bored, the drivers have nothing to do but socialize — while health officials recommend isolation. Some port-a-potties there have hand sanitizer. Some don't. Rides have already fallen by half and they are worried about making rent and car payments.
Meanwhile, Uber/Lyft/Doordash etc. are scrambling. Most companies have said they will give drivers 14 days of sick leave. They're trying to figure out how make bulk orders of hand sanitizer and get it to drivers. But the lack of work hasn't really been addressed.
I talked to @andrewgordonmac on Friday night. He's managing Uber's response to this crisis, and he sounded so exhausted. It's one of the most hectic times at a company that's known for its fast pace. His team of 30 people meets daily to figure out logistics for this.
But the safety net is missing. Drivers have no insurance, no sick leave. “A large swath of workers will be left with nothing," @MarkWarner told me. We've needed to figure out how to care for the workers in this new economy for a long time, but the virus is making it more urgent.
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