• Home
  • Latest
  • Fortune 500
  • Finance
  • Tech
  • Leadership
  • Lifestyle
  • Rankings
  • Multimedia
TechUber Technologies

Uber’s Proposed Class-Action Settlement Leaves a Bad Taste

By
Reuters
Reuters
Down Arrow Button Icon
By
Reuters
Reuters
Down Arrow Button Icon
April 28, 2016, 7:46 AM ET
The Uber logo is displayed on the window of a vehicle
The Uber Technologies Inc. logo is displayed on the window of a vehicle after dropping off a passenger at Ronald Reagan National Airport (DCA) in Washington, D.C., U.S., on Wednesday, Nov. 26, 2014. Uber Technologies Inc. investors are betting the five-year-old car-booking app is more valuable than Twitter Inc. and Hertz Global Holdings Inc. Photographer: Andrew Harrer/Bloomberg via Getty ImagesPhotograph by Andrew Harrer — Bloomberg via Getty Images

Uber’s proposed settlement of a high-profile class-action lawsuit last week has drawn opposition from some drivers and other concerned parties as the ride-hailing service seeks to avoid reclassifying drivers as employees.

The settlement, which still must be approved by a San Francisco federal judge, provides for a $100 million payout to drivers, who could get as little $12 apiece or as much as a few thousand dollars, depending on how many miles they drove.

The deal contains a number of caveats and contingencies, however, such as making $16 million of the payout to drivers dependent on Uber’s future valuation increasing by 150 percent.

Moreover, the settlement’s nonmonetary provisions are set to expire in two years, although Uber may choose to keep them in place after that.

Get Data Sheet, Fortune’s technology newsletter.

“If there were going to be any teeth to this settlement, (the expiration) wouldn’t be there,” said Christian Perea, an Uber driver and writer for The Rideshare Guy, a popular blog and podcast for drivers.

The sunset clause is a way for Uber to protect itself from long-term costs and annoyances, said Jack Schaedel, a labor and employment attorney at the Dykema law firm, who is not involved in the case. If any of the concessions ends up “being totally unwieldy and Uber totally hates it, Uber can get rid of it,” he said.

Uber declined to comment.

A Rideshare Guy post explaining the terms of the settlement drew more than 100 comments, many of them blasting the proposed deal. Uber drivers expressed dissatisfaction for a range of reasons, including that the settlement leaves unresolved the central issue of whether the law requires that drivers be qualified as employees.

Among the nonmonetary provisions of the settlement are a new policy governing driver termination, including an appeals process for drivers terminated by Uber, and an agreement that the privately held company will clarify that drivers do not automatically receive gratuities from their fares and allow them to solicit tips.

The company also agreed to assist with the creation of a drivers’ association.

Lawyers representing Uber drivers in another class-action case have said in court filings they may object to the settlement because drivers covered by it would no longer be able to participate in their case, which challenges Uber’s alleged use of credit reports during driver background checks.

For more on Uber, watch:

The lawyers also object to Uber’s request to omit details from the settlement that would allow drivers to better evaluate the deal.

The company has asked U.S. District Judge Edward Chen to redact key figures in court filings, including an estimate of the total potential value of drivers’ legal claims had they won in a jury trial.

The redacted information “is critically important to any analysis of whether the proposed settlement is fundamentally fair, adequate, and reasonable,” the lawyers wrote in a court filing.

Uber has said the figures are trade secrets and would damage the company if made public. In an order on Wednesday, Chen told both sides to further explain their positions, given the importance of the information.

In a similar lawsuit against Lyft, Uber’s chief competitor, U.S. District Judge Vince Chhabria denied that company’s request to keep secret similar information. Chhabria ultimately rejected the proposed $12.25 million settlement offer because it represented only about 9 percent of the potential value of drivers’ claims, a deal that he said “short-changed” drivers.

While he will gladly cash a settlement check if one comes his way, driver Perea said the deal with Uber provides little solace.

“We were hoping for a more definitive answer on what the on-demand economy would look like in the future, and a sense that this whole new economy that was taking off would work,” he said.

A hearing on the deal is scheduled for June.

About the Author
By Reuters
See full bioRight Arrow Button Icon

Latest in Tech

Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025

Most Popular

Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Fortune Secondary Logo
Rankings
  • 100 Best Companies
  • Fortune 500
  • Global 500
  • Fortune 500 Europe
  • Most Powerful Women
  • World's Most Admired Companies
  • See All Rankings
  • Lists Calendar
Sections
  • Finance
  • Fortune Crypto
  • Features
  • Leadership
  • Health
  • Commentary
  • Success
  • Retail
  • Mpw
  • Tech
  • Lifestyle
  • CEO Initiative
  • Asia
  • Politics
  • Conferences
  • Europe
  • Newsletters
  • Personal Finance
  • Environment
  • Magazine
  • Education
Customer Support
  • Frequently Asked Questions
  • Customer Service Portal
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms Of Use
  • Single Issues For Purchase
  • International Print
Commercial Services
  • Advertising
  • Fortune Brand Studio
  • Fortune Analytics
  • Fortune Conferences
  • Business Development
  • Group Subscriptions
About Us
  • About Us
  • Press Center
  • Work At Fortune
  • Terms And Conditions
  • Site Map
  • About Us
  • Press Center
  • Work At Fortune
  • Terms And Conditions
  • Site Map
  • Facebook icon
  • Twitter icon
  • LinkedIn icon
  • Instagram icon
  • Pinterest icon

Latest in Tech

Qualcomm CEO Cristiano Amon says 2026 is the year AI agents go mainstream—and the smartphone’s reign as your primary device is ending
AIFortune 500: Titans and Disruptors of Industry
Qualcomm CEO Cristiano Amon says 2026 is the year AI agents go mainstream—and the smartphone’s reign as your primary device is ending
By Fortune EditorsMay 10, 2026
6 hours ago
The global economy is experiencing the largest capex cycle ever, with nearly $5 trillion seen by the end of the decade—and it’s not all AI spending
EnergyAlternative energy
The global economy is experiencing the largest capex cycle ever, with nearly $5 trillion seen by the end of the decade—and it’s not all AI spending
By Jason MaMay 10, 2026
7 hours ago
AI wins have Alphabet poised to become world’s biggest company
AIAlphabet
AI wins have Alphabet poised to become world’s biggest company
By Ryan Vlastelica and BloombergMay 10, 2026
9 hours ago
OpenAI CEO Sam Altman says Gen Z and millennials are using ChatGPT like a ‘life advisor’—but college students might be one step ahead
TechOpenAI
OpenAI CEO Sam Altman says Gen Z and millennials are using ChatGPT like a ‘life advisor’—but college students might be one step ahead
By Sydney LakeMay 10, 2026
12 hours ago
Torsten Slok, wearing a suit, speaks on a stage with a gold and black background.
AILabor
‘The gains will be substantial’: The AI shock is looking a lot like the China shock, and a top economist says that’s actually good news
By Sasha RogelbergMay 10, 2026
14 hours ago
Young man working on laptop with headphones in modern coffeeshop
Future of Workskills gap
AI generated identical résumés for a man and a woman: Hers was more likely to be labeled ‘weak,’ while his got a 97% approval rating
By Eleanor PringleMay 10, 2026
16 hours ago

Most Popular

'Employers are increasingly turning to degree and GPA' in hiring: Recruiters retreat from ‘talent is everywhere,’ double down on top colleges
Future of Work
'Employers are increasingly turning to degree and GPA' in hiring: Recruiters retreat from ‘talent is everywhere,’ double down on top colleges
By Jake AngeloMay 9, 2026
1 day ago
‘This is the way’: Elon Musk endorses Warren Buffett’s famed 5-minute plan to fix the national debt
Economy
‘This is the way’: Elon Musk endorses Warren Buffett’s famed 5-minute plan to fix the national debt
By Jacqueline MunisMay 10, 2026
11 hours ago
OpenAI CEO Sam Altman says Gen Z and millennials are using ChatGPT like a 'life advisor'—but college students might be one step ahead
Tech
OpenAI CEO Sam Altman says Gen Z and millennials are using ChatGPT like a 'life advisor'—but college students might be one step ahead
By Sydney LakeMay 10, 2026
12 hours ago
Ted Cruz says the quiet part out loud: Trump accounts are Social Security personal accounts as GOP senator reveals 'dirty little secret'
Politics
Ted Cruz says the quiet part out loud: Trump accounts are Social Security personal accounts as GOP senator reveals 'dirty little secret'
By Jason MaMay 9, 2026
1 day ago
Red flag test: former CEO explains why he rejects job candidates who say they can start right away
Success
Red flag test: former CEO explains why he rejects job candidates who say they can start right away
By Orianna Rosa RoyleMay 9, 2026
1 day ago
Trump thinks he's flying to Beijing with leverage. China spent 6 years making sure he doesn't have any
Commentary
Trump thinks he's flying to Beijing with leverage. China spent 6 years making sure he doesn't have any
By Steve H. HankeMay 10, 2026
14 hours ago

© 2026 Fortune Media IP Limited. All Rights Reserved. Use of this site constitutes acceptance of our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy | CA Notice at Collection and Privacy Notice | Do Not Sell/Share My Personal Information
FORTUNE is a trademark of Fortune Media IP Limited, registered in the U.S. and other countries. FORTUNE may receive compensation for some links to products and services on this website. Offers may be subject to change without notice.