Library’s got soul
The historic Soul Pole has returned to the Douglass-Truth branch of the Seattle Public Library after it was removed for restoration in April 2021.
The artwork, originally donated by the Seattle Rotary Boys Club, was carved by six community artists in 1969 to honor the Black community’s fight for justice in America. The library enlisted Artech Fine Art Services for the preservation work.
Bad deal
A Washington state bill that offers Uber and Lyft drivers additional benefits and a minimum amount of money for time spent giving rides to clients faced new opposition from the newly elected international president of the Teamsters union after winning support from the local chapter.
“This will be the model that sets the tone for the entire country,” said Sean O’Brien, the new international president, in Bloomberg News. “We’ve got to make sure we do it right.”
The bill, which passed during the 2022 short legislative session and has since been signed by Gov. Jay Inslee, affords Uber and Lyft drivers paid sick leave and a base pay rate for rides. However, it precludes drivers from being classified as employees and prevents cities in Washington from imposing additional regulations.
Inslee signed onto the majority of the provisions in the bill passed by the legislature, but vetoed one section exempting “transportation network companies” like Uber and Lyft from being classified as “common carriers.” According to the Washington state Utilities and Transportation Commission, a common carrier is “defined as any company or person who is transporting property other than household goods for compensation” within the state.
Former Seattle Mayor Jenny Durkan signed an ordinance in October 2020 guaranteeing a minimum per-trip payment that equaled the minimum wage that the city requires large employers to pay plus “reasonable expenses.” In 2022, large employers — companies that have 501 or more employees — must pay their workers at least $17.27 per hour.
According to the city, transportation network companies must pay at least $1.38 per mile driven and $0.59 per minute. Drivers must be compensated no less than $5.17 per trip, even if the customer or company canceled a trip. Companies cannot count tips as part of the minimum payment.
The city also required transportation network companies to either provide or reimburse drivers for supplies including personal protective equipment and disinfecting supplies during the COVID-19 civil emergency.
Seattle was the second city in the country to pass minimum compensation requirements for rideshare drivers. New York City passed a similar law in 2018. New York City Mayor Eric Adams announced in February that compensation for rideshare drivers would increase to $1.161 per mile and $0.529 per minute.
Ashley Archibald was the editor of Real Change through July 2023, and is now a communication specialist for Purpose. Dignity. Action.
Read more of the Apr. 6-12, 2022 issue.