Judge upholds Uber arbitration win in price-fixing case

A federal judge on Monday upheld an arbitration win for Uber Technologies after a customer asked the judge to overturn the ruling in the price-fixing case.

According to Reuters, the customer said that the arbitrator, Les Weinstein, ruled in favor of Uber because he was scared. 

U.S. District Judge Jed Rakoff in Manhattan said, however, that the claim lacked merit, adding Weinstein was simply joking when he said he dismissed the lawsuit in February out of fear.

“After carefully reviewing the full record, the court finds that the arbitrator’s concluding remarks, rather than a sincere confession of fear, were simply an attempt at humor – one of many made by the arbitrator throughout the hearing,” Rakoff wrote on Monday.

The class action over Uber’s “surge” pricing model was initiated in 2015. The lawsuit sought a nationwide ban against “surge” pricing, during which Uber takes a higher portion of driver’s earnings.

Uber has argued that drivers are independent contractors, not employees, and that they simply provide a platform for them to connect with riders.