unfortunately everyone has bills and bills don't care that you are on strike. most of american lower class has close to no savings to fall back on. a month without a pay means getting really close to becoming homeless.

or take up a skilled trade

Leaen2code

Could you please stop posting unsubstantive comments to Hacker News?

So you think if all the uber drivers suddenly had expertise in a skilled trade, they could all get jobs?

Do you think if Uber suddenly was forced to make all of these drivers employees with benefits, that everyone would continue to have a job?

No, I don’t. I was not suggesting that.

> They have no power.

They have the power to vote, arguably much more influential then money.

> They are too poor and too desperate to be unemployed for long

If they are too poor, they also qualify for food stamp and a bunch of other benefit that YOU are paying for ! Its a transfer of wealth from your work / pocket to rich Uber shareholders like Saudi Arabia.

> and many will be replaced with robots.

Unlikely, especially for last mile, and in cities ( where most people live )

> The gig economy is an underclass. They are serfs.

Most of us are "serfs" to somebody, unless you are retired or are living off your investments.

> Unless they rise up violently nothing will change.

Not really, they just need to vote, DJT is an example, Bernie maybe next.

It's pretty off topic for the thread, but DJT's election was probably more about "not voting" than about voting.

https://www.pbs.org/newshour/politics/voter-turnout-2016-ele...