Drivers for Uber Black Car Service Aren’t Employees, Judge Rules

Drivers for Uber’s high-end black car service aren’t employees entitled to minimum wage or overtime, a federal judge ruled.

The decision is the first judicial determination on the classification of UberBLACK drivers. Whether gig workers are correctly classified as contractors or employees is a long-running issue. Companies have generally beat back or settled such disputes without a definitive finding.

The settlements can include eye-popping amounts, such as the $27 million figure Lyft and drivers in March jointly said was proceeding on schedule, and the $100 million Uber settlement that a judge rejected as too small.

The drivers aren’t employees because ...