When a start-up like Uber or Lyft goes public, what do the drivers get?
SAN FRANCISCO - Edward Escobar has been driving for Uber and Lyft for nearly four years. That's eons in Silicon Valley time. If he were an employee at either ride-hailing company, he'd be considered a stalwart, probably with stock options fully vested. And if either company went public at their current valuations, he would have a good shot at striking it rich.
But Escobar isn't an employee. He's an independent contractor in the so-called "gig economy." This means he's not entitled to benefits such as health insurance, overtime or expense reimbursement. He doesn't get the free lunches served to Uber and Lyft employees in their San Francisco headquarters, and he doesn't get a
