Uber Now Employs 20,000 in the Bay Area

In the Bay Area, Uber has surpassed all except Kaiser, U.C. Berkeley, UCSF, and San Francisco itself in the number of people it employs. 

Of course, definitions of employment vary: "Uber would be the first to say that those drivers are definitely not employees. Uber's 'driver partners' work as independent contractors. That means they don't receive such benefits as health insurance, overtime, paid vacation, workers' comp or disability, but they do have the freedom to set their own hours."

Employees or not, the company has begun to address the need for better communication between drivers and headquarters. From the article: "Uber said it will open walk-in 'partner support centers' throughout Northern California. It now has a center in San Francisco on Vermont Street and will add such locations as Daly City, where almost a quarter of local Uber drivers live."

"However, the company has been dogged by controversies including how it vets and trains its drivers. Drivers organized protests when Uber reduced fares and increased its cut. Taxi companies and lawmakers often complain that it flouts regulations." Taxi owners are concerned that Uber devalues the city-issued medallions giving them the right to operate a cab.