Episode #20: Should Uber Drivers be Treated Like Employees? Also: "Cancel Culture", a Baseball Broadcaster Ruins His Career in a Split Second, and Groundhog Day

Talking Shop Podcast

Uber and Lyft drivers in California are demanding to be treated as employees, with all the benefits and protections that entails -- but will it work? Could the ride sharing companies survive? We tell you what the law says, dissect the PR battle being waged, and explain why it's a fascinating case that could reverberate across the entire gig economy.

Then we hear some shocking audio from a live, televised baseball broadcast and the surreal apology interrupted by a home run. Should Cincinnati Reds on-air guy Thom Brennaman lose his job? And is his legacy be ruined? Is "Cancel Culture" a thing?

We also dissect President Barack Obama's speech at the Democratic National Convention, find some lessons in the movie Groundhog Day, and useful tips on navigating the internet. Plus: never forget that Google is your friend.

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Show Notes and Links

• Watch Obama's full speech at the Democratic National Convention - New York Times
• Uber and Lyft say the battle over AB-5 is about preserving flexibility for part-time gig workers. The reality is their businesses have become dependent on full-time drivers and they can't afford to pay them like Employees - Business Insider
• Episode #12: A raucous debate over the 'gig economy', Uber driver sues Uber, when doxxing goes too far, VIP parties and root bear - PR & Law Podcast
• Cincinnati Reds suspend broadcaster Thom Brennaman after he uttered an anti-gay slur on air - CNN
• Thom Brennaman's slur was wrong, but so is selective justice - New York Post
• Mike Milbury off NHL playoff broadcasts after insulting comment about women - ESPN

Check This Out

• What Ellen's Kindness Concealed - The Atlantic
• Groundhog Day (1993) - IMDB

Hosts

Ewan Christie is an employment lawyer and partner at Duntrune LLP in Toronto, Ontario, Canada.

Cam MacMurchy is a corporate communications executive with a multinational technology company listed in Hong Kong and curator of the Digital Bits PR and Communications newsletter. He also writes his own blog.