Terri Gerstein (’95), Director of the New York University Wagner Labor Initiative, coauthored a commentary for the Minnesota Reformer discussing how ridehail corporations Uber and Lyft threaten to stop operating in cities like Minneapolis, where the City Council set a minimum wage for rideshare drivers (“Uber and Lyft Are the Corporations That Cry Wolf,” Apr. 8). “[O]ne thing is clear: In addressing this issue, state lawmakers should not preempt local authority to act, because doing so would be harmful for democracy. The real issue here is whether businesses that are no different from others — except that they hire workers via an app — should be able to write their own rules, or whether the government, representing the people, should make these decisions.” On May 19, 2024, Minnesota passed legislation considered a compromise between rideshare companies and the state, guaranteeing a minimum rate lower than the rate stipulated by Minneapolis ordinance.