A group of lawmakers is questioning whether Uber, the ride-sharing company operating under temporary permission in Burlington, is in compliance with Vermont law.
The Legislative Vermont Workers’ Caucus submitted a letter Aug. 20 to Annie Noonan, commissioner of the Department of Labor, regarding Uber’s alleged noncompliance with state laws governing workers’ compensation and unemployment.
According to the Aug. 20 letter, the legislators wrote it to insist that the commissioner apply the law consistently and fairly to all companies doing business in Vermont.
An Uber spokesperson said that the company believes it is in compliance with Vermont state law.
“Drivers who partner with Uber control when they drive, for how long, and dictate their own schedule,” the Uber spokesperson said.
The legislators reference news reports that make it clear that Uber’s business model is based on treating drivers as “independent contractors,” according to the letter. FedEx and 863-ToGo are brought up as precedents of this type of business model being noncompliant with state law, according to the letter.
The legislators are asking that Uber drivers be classified as employees rather than contractors, according to the letter.
“Refusing to apply state law to any company is unimaginable,” the letter stated. “No matter how political donations or effective the lobbying team Uber brings to Montpelier, all of our working people and business leaders deserve to know that the law is applied evenly and without prejudice.”
Uber declined to comment further.
The letter was also sent to Gov. Peter Shumlin, House Speaker Shap Smith and Senate President Pro Tem John Campbell.
Rep. Johanna Donovan, D-Burlington, and Rep. Susan Davis, P/D-West Topsham, are co-chairs of the Legislative Vermont Workers’ Caucus.
