DENVER (KDVR) — Efforts are underway at the state Capitol to boost transparency for workers in Colorado.
One newly introduced newly introduced measure looks to protect a small segment of workers in the state. The measure coming this week looks to make sure freelancers, known as gig workers, have certain protections as they work.
Gig workers said companies are overcharging customers and underpaying workers. They are hoping a new bill at the Capitol starts a conversation to end that.
“I get for downtown to the airport $18, it cost the customer $60 or $70. That’s a big issue right now,” said Hamouda Ahmed.
He is a gig worker. He works for various companies using his car to drive customers using popular apps. On top of the low share of the profit for workers, Ahmed said he believes racism plays a role in customer ratings that workers rely on to be successful in this line of work.
“They [the companies] trust customers, they don’t trust the drivers,” said Ahmed. “Customers complain, there is racism to that, then they [drivers] get deactivated. You have a mortgage payment, house payment, food payment, insurance. If your car is broke down, maintenance too. It’s too expensive. How can I pay this one?”
Drivers like Ahmed and state lawmakers are backing a bill they believe will help solve the problem.
“The driver should know how much the drive is, what they are going to get paid before they accept the ride, be able to get a report of how much the company got, how much they got for the work that they did and also it has protections around the tip they were paid because sometimes they don’t get the tip that was offered to them. So, it’s just about transparency for them,” said sponsor Sen. Robert Rodriguez of Denver.
In addition to calling for companies to disclose how much money drivers will get from a ride rendered through their app, the bill would also require those companies to lay out anti-discrimination policies and solutions if workers feel they were unfairly targeted by customers or discriminated against by the company.
The bill was just introduced this week. Workers are hoping Colorado can be at the forefront of upholding these kinds of protections.