‘Black Car’ Drivers in NYC Ruled Contractors, Not Employees

Drivers of “black cars” in the New York City area who have franchise agreements with dispatch companies are independent contractors, not employees entitled to wage protections, a federal appeals court ruled (Saleem v. Corp. Transp. Grp., Ltd., 2017 BL 119627, 2d Cir., No. 15-88, 4/12/17).

“This decision should have far-reaching effects across the country,” not only for the black car industry, but for “putative employers” in other industries, said Evan Spelfogel of Epstein Becker & Green PC in New York, which represented Corporate Transportation Group Ltd. and the other named defendants.

Under a multifactor “economic ...