Students at WCU and over 300 other colleges order food through Grubhub, savoring the freedom of choice. However, Grubhub and other gig economy workers can’t savor the freedom of even basic rights such as sick leave and retirement plans. If students should support basic rights, they shouldn’t support Grubhub — or any gig apps for that matter.
For years, advocates of the gig economy have lauded the model as one that allows for more convenience in earning money and achieving better work-life balance. They tell potential contractors they can “work from anywhere” and “be their own boss.” One might wonder if that is really the case. Hint: it usually is not.
The gig economy involves workers earning money by providing on-demand products to customers. Grubhub, Uber Eats, DoorDash, Instacart, Rover and Fiverr are all examples of apps that allow people to sign up for their gig service. Their workers are not known as employees but as “independent contractors.”
Independent contractors are self-employed workers who set their own hours and complete work at their own discretion. Often, though, they are not guaranteed even the most basic of benefits in return. They are required to pay for many expenses, which include healthcare, 401k plans and, in the case of drive-up apps, gas and car repairs. Additionally, there exists no traditional boss-employee relationship, enabling gig apps like Grubhub to cut wages and hours without without accountability. In fact, some people claim gig workers have no human boss at all, with Gig Workers United stating, “Our boss is an algorithm who successfully prioritizes paying us as little as possible. Over time we have seen our earnings drop instead of increasing relative to our experience.” As a result, gig workers often feel compelled to work continuously to cover their expenses. This overexploitation of workers is completely legal in many countries, including the U.S. The National Labor Relations Act (NLRA) states that only employees, not independent contractors, are guaranteed benefits stated in the NLRA. Independent contractors are also not guaranteed the right to join unions or bargain for their rights.
Gig app workers do not make tons of money, either. In 2022, the Economic Policy Institute conducted a survey that uncovered concerning realities for gig workers. One out of seven earned less than the federal minimum wage (less than $7.25 an hour), one out of five struggled to afford sufficient food and one out of three could not pay their home utility bills.
While some argue that no one forces individuals to participate in gig work and that they can find other employment, it’s not as straightforward for marginalized groups. A 2021 Pew Research survey found that Hispanic and Black Americans are overrepresented in the gig economy, with 30% of Hispanic Americans and 20% of Black Americans having earned money through the gig economy, compared to 12% of white Americans. Non-white groups also reported feeling unsafe more frequently and experiencing rude behavior or sexual advances from customers. Many marginalized individuals already struggle to get work in traditional jobs, and in these jobs, do not earn as much money as white people. The gig economy represents a last resort for finding any resemblance of financial stability.
Furthermore, it’s not only gig app workers who suffer; employees of restaurants partnering with Grubhub can also be affected. On May 17, 2022 in New York City, GrubHub promoted free lunches for its local users. This promotion was both a success and a failure — while hundreds of orders poured in, restaurants that allowed GrubHub deliveries were overworked as a result while making less money than before the promotion, according to Eater New York.
Supporting platforms like Grubhub perpetuates an outdated economic model reminiscent of the times before workers’ unions existed. This model leads to low daily earnings, excessive working hours and an absence of benefits for the workers, which primarily benefits the businesses. Even if WCU students use Grubhub for on-campus pickup orders, there is no guarantee that Grubhub will not take a portion of the money.
In their pursuit of ethical dining, students can savor food at worker-friendly, locally-owned restaurants and support gig workers’ unions. Boycotting apps like Grubhub can help these workers savor a better work environment.
Emma Brennan is a third-year Media and Culture major with minors in Digital Marketing and Spanish. EB976568@wcupa.edu
This is so true. I stopped using all of these delivery apps last year because of the way they treat gig worker drivers and the restaurant employees. The way they run these things is just awful and subhuman to food service workers and drivers delivering orders.