EL SEGUNDO HERALD May 16, 2019 Page 3
Drivers want more job protection and pay, but Uber wants to go in another direction. Photo Credit: Uber
Calendar of Events
Deadline for Calendar items is the prior
Thursday by noon. Calendar items are $1
per word up to 25 words. Email listings to
marketing@heraldpublications.com. We accept
Visa and MasterCard.
THURSDAY, MAY 16
• El Segundo Certified Farmer’s Market, 3:00
PM. – 7:00 PM., located on Main Street,
Downtown El Segundo
FRIDAY, MAY 17
• Bingo, 1:00 PM. - 3:00 PM., 50 Plus, $3.00
minimum, Senior Club of El Segundo, 339
Sheldon Street
• ESHS Spring Concert, 6:00 PM., ESHS
PAC, 640 Main Street, Call: 310-615-2662.
SATURDAY, MAY 18
• Mattel will be hosting a stop of the Hot
Wheels® legends tour on Saturday, May
18, 2019 at the Mattel Design Center at
2031 E. Mariposa Ave, El Segundo, CA
90245 from 9:00 AM. – 1:00 PM. Visit
the Mattel Toy Store as they launch NEW
and EXCLUSIVE apparel and drink ware
and offer special promotions to support
this exciting event!
• Saturday Night Dance, 7:00 PM. – 9:45
PM., Cost: $5.00 Per Person, Adults of all
Ages Welcome, Senior Club of El Segundo,
339 Sheldon St., Call: 310-524-2705.
• Concerts in the Library/Valley Baroque
Ensemble: Classical, 2:00 PM., El Segundo
Public Library, 111 W. Mariposa Ave, Call:
310-524-2728.
SUNDAY, MAY 19
• Bridge & Pinochle Groups, 11:30 AM. –
3:45 PM, Senior Club of El Segundo, 339
Sheldon St., Call Pam at: 310-318-2856.
MONDAY, MAY 20
• Genealogy Club, 11:00 AM. – 12:00 PM.,
El Segundo Public Library, 111 W. Mariposa
Ave, Call: 310-524-2728.
• Canasta Group, 11:30 AM. – 3:00 PM., 50
Plus, Free, Senior Club of El Segundo, 339
Sheldon St., Call Pam at: 310-318-2856.
TUESDAY, MAY 21
• Pinochle, 11:30 AM. – 3:30 PM., Senior
Club of El Segundo, 339 Sheldon St., Call
Pam at: 310-318-2856.
• Eagles’ Nest PTO Meeting, 6:15 PM., 641
Sheldon Street, Call: 310-615-2650.
• El Segundo Kiwanis Club Meeting, 12:10
PM., The Lakes at El Segundo, Contact:
elsegundokiwanis.org.
• ESMS PTA Meeting, 7:00 PM., ESMS Library,
332 Center Street, Call: 310-615-2690.
• City Council Meeting, 6:00 PM., City Hall,
350 Main Street, Call: 310-524-2306.
WEDNESDAY, MAY 22
• Bowling, 1:00 PM – 3:00 PM, 50 Plus,
Senior Club of El Segundo, Gable House
Bowl, 22501 Hawthorne Blvd., Torrance,
Cost: $8.50 for 3 games, Call Joyce at:
310-322-7621.
• Meditation in Library Park, 12:00 PM. –
1:00 PM., Meet at the Gazebo in Library
Park, al levels of experience welcome.
THURSDAY, MAY 23
• El Segundo Certified Farmer’s Market, 3:00
PM. – 7:00 PM., located on Main Street,
Downtown El Segundo
FRIDAY, MAY 24
• Bingo, 1:00 PM. - 3:00 PM., 50 Plus, $3.00
minimum, Senior Club of El Segundo, 339
Pizza, Pasta & More VALENTINO S
Large
“A Taste of Brooklyn”
One Topping Pizza
$1549
Plus Tax
No substitutions and coupon must be presented.
Please mention coupon when ordering. One per customer. Expires 05/30/19.
EL SEGUNDO
150 S Sepulveda Blvd.
310-426-9494
MANHATTAN BEACH
976 Aviation Blvd.
310-318-5959
• DELIVERY IN LIMITED AREA AT BOTH LOCATIONS •
Burkley Brandlin
Swatik & Keesey LLP
AT T O R N E Y S AT L AW
Lifetime El Segundo Residents
Ample Seating
Closed On Sundays!
Living Trusts/Wills, Probate, Employment Law, Personal Injury
Trust and Estates Litigation, Business Litigation, Civil Litigation
310-540-6000
*AV Rated (Highest) Martindale - Hubbell / **Certified Specialist Estate Planning, Trust & Probate Law, State Bar of California, Board of Legal Specialization
See Calendar of Events, page 6
DEADLINES
OBITUARIES: Monday at noon.
CALENDAR ITEMS: Monday at noon.
PEOPLE ITEMS: Monday at noon.
CLASSIFIEDS: Tuesday at noon.
LEGAL NOTICES: Wednesday at 11:00 am.
REAL ESTATE ADS: Monday at noon.
AD CANCELLATIONS: Prior Thursday.
LATE CANCELLATIONS WILL BE
CHARGED 50% OF AD
Uber Drivers Pump the Brakes
While Company Plots Next Move
By Rob McCarthy
Uber drivers were hopping mad last week
and decided they weren’t going to take it anymore.
A loosely organized group representing
the drivers called a one-day strike to demand
higher pay and bargaining power. That group,
Rideshare Drivers United, was taking a cue
from Uber and being disruptive. In the gig
economy, disruption is a money-maker for
technology startups that almost singlehandedly
change consumer behavior.
The revolt didn’t severely disrupt Los Angeles
International Airport, judging by local
news coverage. Television images from LAX
showed cars displaying the familiar Uber logos
cruising through the airport. However, it wasn’t
clear if the drivers were supporting the strike
or making pickups and drop-offs at the nation’s
second-busiest airport. Rideshare Drivers United
demonstrated at LAX to demand higher pay
and better working conditions. The demands
included a $28 hourly minimum wage, fares
on a sliding scale that increase with gasoline
prices, and a new tipping policy.
The L.A.-based group wants job security,
too, for the independent operators who work
with Uber to connect with people who need
a ride. Representatives of the group stressed
during Thursday’s protest that Uber can
remove a driver from using its ride-hailing
smartphone app without a formal investigation
or hearing. The drivers worry they could
lose their livelihood -- up to $240 per day- -
without a chance to defend themselves from
accusations of wrongdoing by passengers
or a violation of the rules of conduct they
agreed to abide by.
Uber didn’t comment about the strike or
whether management is considering the list of
demands for higher pay and more bargaining
power for its independent workforce. Still, the
Ridershare Drivers group vows to keep pressing
the company and its rival, Lyft, to recognize
the drivers as more than independent contractors.
They want to be treated like partners with
a stake in Uber and Lyft, both of which are
now publicly traded companies. Hedge-fund
managers and individual stockholders now are
part-owners in the rideshare industry, which
analysts say puts both companies under pressure
to get more profitable.
One way to do that is to eliminate the need
for drivers, and that’s something on Uber’s
radar. Set against the backdrop of driver dissatisfaction
and demands for fair treatment,
Uber has experimented with a fleet of robotic
vehicles that will pick up and drop off passengers.
But, will paying customers feel safe
enough to climb in?
People in Pennsylvania apparently are. Uber
spokeswoman Sarah Abboud revealed that
self-driving cars are in operation in only one
location in the 50 states: Pittsburgh. Testing is
being done in San Francisco and Toronto too,
but in cars with someone at the controls. The
company doesn’t want to eliminate all of its
drivers -- just some.
See Uber Drivers, page 13