Author: Steven Hill
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Salon: The Uber-economy f**ks us all: How “permalancers” and “sharer” gigs gut the middle class
By Steven Hill, Salon, October 31, 2015
The “sharing” economy sounds groovy: politically neutral, anti-consumerist. Wait until it comes for your job
A significant factor in the decline of the quality of jobs in the United States has been employers’ increasing reliance on “non-regular” employees — a growing army of freelancers, temps, contractors, part-timers, day laborers, micro-entrepreneurs, gig-preneurs, solo-preneurs, contingent labor, perma-lancers and perma-temps.…
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Medium: An open letter to Airbnb “regular people” hosts: Airbnb is selling you out
By Steven Hill, Medium, November 3, 2015
As San Franciscans contemplate Proposition F, a measure that would crack down on Airbnb rentals, I would like to address the “regular people” hosts who are trying to use Airbnb to make ends meet. Airbnb likes to portray “regular people” hosts as the face of its company.…
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SF Examiner: Airbnb has become its own worst enemy
By Steven Hill, San Francisco Examiner, November 1, 2015
Airbnb, the giant app-based hotel service, has disrupted housing markets and people’s lives in city after city. In response, many cities are cracking down, and that’s really a shame because Airbnb began as a good idea — it empowered “regular people” hosts, allowing them to earn a few extra dollars by renting out a spare room or couch to tourists.…
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American Prospect: The Unsavory Side of Airbnb
By Steven Hill, American Prospect, November 1, 2015/Fall Issue
How the popular matching company facilitates landlord conversion of entire rental buildings to de facto hotels.
“Belonging is the idea that defines Airbnb,” says its young, 34-year-old billionaire CEO and co-founder Brian Chesky. “Really, we’re about home. You see, a house is just a space, but a home is where you belong.…
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Business Insider: The two faces of Airbnb
By Steven Hill, Business Insider, October 30, 2015
Airbnb, the $25 billion global-hospitality behemoth, may have met its match. And right in its hometown of San Francisco.
On November 3, the voters of San Francisco will vote on Proposition F, the citizens initiative that, if passed, will crack down on Airbnb’s business.…
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Steven Hill on the Brian Lehrer show, NPR in NYC, What the “Share Economy” Means for Jobs
Brian Lehrer show, NPR in NYC, October 30, 2015
Steven Hill, political journalist and author of Raw Deal: How the “Uber Economy” and Naked Capitalism Are Screwing American Workers, appears on the Brian Lehrer show on NPR and argues the share economy is bad for workers.
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Huff Post: GOP Candidates Avoid the “Economic Elephant” in the Room During CNBC Debate
By Steven Hill, Huffington Post, October 29, 2015
CNBC held a GOP presidential debate that was billed as being focused on the subject of the economy. Instead, we found out that Donald Trump sometimes carries a handgun, that Jeb Bush thinks that fantasy sports betting is like daytrading, that Chris Christie thinks that Social Security is broke (it’s not), and that Ted Cruz wants to go back to the gold standard.…
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Interview with Steven Hill on the “Sharing” Economy on KPFA/Pacifica
KPFA/Pacifica, October 27, 2015
What’s under the hood of the “sharing economy?” We talk to Steven Hill about his new takedown on the Ubers and AirBNBs of the world — and how to make the “gig” economy a fair one.…
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Steven Hill on the Kojo Nnamdi Show: Regulating Airbnb and The Sharing Economy
Kojo Nnamdi Show, WAMU/NPR, October 26, 2015
New America Foundation fellow Steven Hill, who recently authored the book Raw Deal: How the ‘Uber Economy’ and Runaway Capitalism are Screwing American Workers, argues that Airbnb effectively pits local residents against tourists. For example, he saya he’s interviewed tenants who’ve been kicked out of their rental units to be replaced by Airbnb renters.…
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The Street: GIG ECONOMY IS CRUSHING THE U.S. WORKER — ‘RAW DEAL’ AUTHOR Steven Hill
The Street, October 24, 2015
Television interview by The Street’s Gregg Greenberg of Raw Deal author Steven Hill.
Wall Street and Silicon Valley may be excited about the emergence of the so-called sharing economy, but freelance workers driving for Uber are getting “screwed over,” says Steven Hill, author of the new book Raw Deal: How the “Uber Economy” and Runaway Capitalism Are Screwing American Workers.…
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CNN: What happens to jobs in the ‘Uber economy’?
By Steven Hill, CNN, October 22, 2015
What will jobs of the future look like, in a world in which Uber, Airbnb and TaskRabbit are becoming the model for new job creation.
The U.S. workforce, which has been one of the world’s most productive and wealthiest, is undergoing an alarming transformation.…
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Washington Independent Review of Books reviews Raw Deal
Washington Independent Review of Books, October 21, 2015
Reviewed by Michael Causey
You might want to stop high-fiving yourselves, freelancers.
Say, you look like a bright guy. Entrepreneurial. High-energy. Not afraid of a challenge. Am I right? Bet you’d like to be your own boss, too. Work when you want, where you want.…
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NY Daily News: Airbnb is not the little guy’s ally
By Steven Hill, New York Daily News, October 22, 2015
The giant hospitality service Airbnb has struck like a tornado in city after city. In response, some cities are legalizing Airbnb’s app-based rent-a-room operation, while others are cracking down.
Jersey City is the latest to announce it will try legalization; San Francisco, which legalized Airbnb last year, has been plagued by loopholes, prompting a coalition of homeowners and tenant advocates to mount a November ballot initiative that will be decided by voters.…
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Fast Company: Welcome To The Share The Crumbs Economy
By Steven Hill, Fast Company, October 20, 2015
The following post was excerpted from
RAW DEAL: How the “Uber Economy” and Runaway Capitalism are Screwing American Workers
Reprinted with permission from St. Martin’s Press
(c) 2015 by Steven Hill, published on October 20, 2015Micro-gigging via the various labor platforms in the sharing economy leaves already vulnerable workers no better off, and in some ways worse off.…
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Steven Hill interviewed on Bloomberg Business about the Sharing Economy
Bloomberg Business, October 20, 2015
The Bloomberg Advantage’s Carol Massar and Cory Johnson interview journalist and author Steven Hill about the sharing economy and his new book “Raw Deal: How the “Uber Economy” and Runaway Capitalism Are Screwing American Workers.” He speaks on “Bloomberg Markets.”…
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Fast Company: Creating A New Kind Of Safety Net For The Uber Economy
By Steven Hill, Fast Company, October 19, 2015
Creating a new social contract for a multi-employer world.
In a few short years since its founding, Uber has become an iconic company and a global phenomenon, valued at $51 billion—almost as much as old-economy stalwart General Motors, which clocks in at $52 billion.…
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Huff Post: Is Airbnb CEO Brian Chesky Telling Us the Truth About His Company?
By Steven Hill, Huffington Post, October 17, 2015
The following post was excerpted from
RAW DEAL: How the “Uber Economy” and Runaway Capitalism are Screwing American Workers
Reprinted with permission from St. Martin’s Press
(c) 2015 by Steven Hill, published on October 20, 2015*****The third actor in this passion play is Mr.…
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SF Chronicle: How to keep Uber from becoming too much of a good thing
by Steven Hill, San Francisco Chronicle, October 11, 2015
Uber, the $51 billion global ride-hailing company, has quickly become not only a leader in the urban transportation industry but also popular among many of its users. My friends especially love its handy app, which allows the waiting passenger to track the arrival of his or her Uber ride.…
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The Dangers of the On Demand Economy — interview with Steven Hill
By Steven Hill, Zero Hour with RJ Eskow, September 30, 2015
Steven Hill, author of Raw Deal: How the “Uber Economy” and Runaway Capitalism Are Screwing American Workers, interviewed by RJ Eskow about the on-demand economy. Video and radio.…
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How Stephen Colbert Blew It With Uber CEO Travis Kalanick
By Steven Hill, Huffington Post, September 13, 2015
Uber used Colbert like the State Department used Judith Miller
Stephen, I realize it’s only entertainment and that your job is to make people laugh. But when you bring on a very un-funny fellow like Travis Kalanick, it seems you and your production team should think a little more cleverly about how you put lipstick on that pig.…
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Medium: How BIG is the GIG (Economy)?
By Steven Hill, Medium, September 9, 2015
No one knows the true size of the on-demand economy. That’s a major problem for US workers.
With all the headlines about Uber, Airbnb, Instacart and more, you’d think the gig economy is taking over. And you may be right…or you may be wrong.…
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Our streets as a public utility: How UBER could be part of the solution
By Steven Hill, Medium, September 2, 2015
With an eye on future development, it becomes increasingly important to view our streets as a public utility, as much as our electricity, sewage and communication systems. The subways, buses, personal autos, trucks, taxis and now on-demand ridesharing vehicles together form a transportation system for moving people and goods from place to place.…
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Why Travis Kalanick’s dream of an Uber on every street corner has a dim future
By Steven Hill, Pando, August 6, 2015
What kind of transportation system is in the public interest? The history of livery shows that lack of regulation leads to congestion, pollution and safety hazards. But the Uber app could be part of the solution.
Uber and Big Taxi are at loggerheads, with battle lines drawn and the public and politicians taking sides.…
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“New Economy, New Social Contract” — paper for the New America Foundation
By Steven Hill, New American Foundation, August 4, 2015
The US workforce, which has been one of the most productive and wealthiest in the world, is undergoing an alarming transformation. Increasing numbers of workers find themselves on shaky ground, turned into freelancers, temps and contractors. Even many full-time and professional jobs are experiencing this precarious shift.…
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The Future of Work in the Uber Economy: Creating a Safety Net in a Multi-Employer World
Steven Hill, Boston Review, July 22, 2015, BillMoyers.com, July 27, 2015
The ride-sharing company Uber, besides being a rapidly growing global phenomenon, has also become the poster child for the independent contractor loophole. In a few short years, the company claims that it has spread to some 300 cities and 58 countries, striking fear into the hearts of taxi companies everywhere.…