AND KAOMI LEE DIVES DEEPER INTO THE CHALLENGES AND OPPORTUNITIES CREATED BY AGRICULTURE WORKER SHORTAGES IN MINNESOTA.

>> CATHY: WE START TONIGHT WITH THE ONGOING ISSUE OF RIDE-SHARING SERVICES IN THE TWIN CITIES AREA.

THE MINNEAPOLIS CITY COUNCIL ORDINANCE THAT WILL INCREASE DRIVERS' PAY ON MAY 1ST HAS UBER AND LYFT MAKING PLANS TO EXIT THE REGION, INCLUDING TWIN CITIES INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT.

THE MINNEAPOLIS CITY COUNCIL MET YESTERDAY AND INDICATED CHANGES TO THAT ORDINANCE COULD BE IN THE WORKS.

JOINING US, CHIEF AUTHOR OF THE REQUIRED PAY RAISE FOR DRIVERS, COUNCILMEMBER ROBIN WONSLEY.

>> THANKS FOR HAVING ME.

>> Cathy: IS THERE A PATHS FORWARD IF THE COUNCIL DECIDES IT WANTS TO TWEAK THE ORDINANCE?

>> I KNOW THERE'S BEEN SOME CONFUSION AROUND THIS.

SO THEY'RE TWO THINGS AT WORK RIGHT NOW.

SO, ECONSIDERATION ALLOWS FOR AMENDMENTS OF THE ORDINANCE BY A MAJORITY VOTE, SO THERE WOULD BE SEVEN VOTES NEEDED TO PASS ANY CHANGES.

IT COULD ALSO OPEN THE DOOR TO REPEALING THE ENTIRE ORDINANCE IN ITSELF.

THAT ALSO WOULD NEED MAJORITY VOTE AND I'M VERY PROUD TO SAY THAT BASED OFF MY CONVERSATIONS WITH MY COLLEAGUES, EVEN UP TO YESTERDAY, WE ARE VERY MUCH IN SUPPORT OF THE ORDINANCE AS IT STANDS.

WE'RE EXCITED TO GUARANTEE A $15 MINIMUM WAGE TO RIDERS AS 70,000 OTHER WORKERS HAVE IN OUR DID HE BUT THAT -- I UNDERSTAND IT'S CAUSED SOME CONFUSION AMONGST THE PUBLIC OR WHAT THIS RECONSIDERATION MEANS.

IDEAS SO YOU WOULD NOT BE OPEN TO ANY TWEAKS AT ALL?

>> SO WHAT I'VE ALWAYS SAID AND THIS IS ACTUALLY BAKED INTO THE ORDINANCE, WE HAVE TO DO ONGOING EVALUATION AND BASED OFF OF ANY CHANGES THAT COMES FROM THAT ONGOING, YOU KNOW, EVALUATION, WE'RE MORE HAPPY TO MAKE THE TWEAKS BUT IT HAS TO BE GROUNDED IN DATA, NOT JUST LIFTING OUR FINGERS TO THE SUN AND PICKING ARBITRARY NUMBER.

SO THAT IS WHAT WE'RE LOOKING TO DO, WE'RE WORKING WITH THE STATE DEPARTMENT OF LABOR AND INDUSTRY ON, YOU KNOW, THAT ONGOING EVALUATION, AND IF THINGS COME BACK DIFFERENT, WE'RE MORE THAN HAPPY TO EXPLORE THAT.

>> Eric: IF THE LEGISLATURE PASSES A STATE REGULATION, WOULD THAT BE ACCEPTABLE TOWEL?

>> WE ALWAYS HAVE BEEN SUPPORTIVE OF A STATEWIDE PROGRAM.

WE WORKED VERY COLLABORATIVELY WITH THE AUTHORS IN THE HOUSE AND THE SENATE SIDE.

WE SEE OUR EFFORTS AT THE LOCAL LEVEL VERY MUCH COMPLIMENTARY TO THE STATE EFFORTS.

WE UNDERSTAND, YES, WE WANT MINNEAPOLIS DRIVERS TO EARN A MINIMUM WAGE BUT WE ALSO KNOW THAT DRIVERS ACROSS THE STATE SHOULD EARN A MINIMUM WAGE, AS WELL, AND A STATE PROGRAM SHOULD BE RESPONSIVE O THOSE NEEDS.

>> Cathy: HAVE YOU WOULD THE CHANCE TO TALK TO ANY OF THE MINNEAPOLIS DELEGATION AT THE CAPITOL?

>> YES, ABSOLUTELY.

WE'VE BEEN, AGAIN, IN NGOING CONVERSATIONS WITH THEM.

IN FACT, OUR COUNCIL LEADERSHIP, COUNCIL PRESIDENT, ELIOT PAYNE AND COUNCIL VICE PRESIDENT SENT A LETTER TO OUR DELEGATION MEMBERS JUST ON WEDNESDAY SAYING LET'S MEET, LET'S CONTINUES TALKING ABOUT HOW OUR PROGRAM CAN SUPPORT YOUR STATEWIDE INITIATIVES.

>> Eric: DO YOU BELIEVE THE RIDESHARE COMPANIES ARE BLUFFING?

>> WHAT I DO KNOW IS THERE IS OTHER PLACES ACROSS THE U.S., FOR INSTANCE, WASHINGTON AND NEW YORK THAT HAVE PASSED SIMILAR MINIMUM WAGE, YOU KNOW, REGULATIONS AND UBER AND LYFT STAYED.

SO THERE IS NOT SOMETHING NEW THAT WE'RE DOING AND IN BOTH OF THOSE CITIES AND STATES, UBER AND LYFT LEVERAGED THE SAME THREATS OF GOING ON A CAPITOL STRIKE, WE'RE GOING TO PULL OUT OF THE MARKET AND I'M VERY GLAD THAT LEADERS THERE, ELECTED LEADERS SAID WE ARE NOT GOING TO CAVE TO CORPORATE PRESSURE, WE'RE GOING TO RAISE WAGES FOR OUR DRIVERS BECAUSE THAT'S WHAT WE SHOULD BE DOING AS POLICYMAKERS.

THOSE ARE THE FOLKS THAT ELECTED US TO MEET THEIR NEEDS, NOT, YOU KNOW, SYL CON TECH VALLEY BROS, THAT IS THE STANDARD THAT THEY'VE SET AND THAT'S WHY I'M REALLY HOPEFUL FOR US TO DO HERE IN MINNEAPOLIS.

>> Cathy: HAVE YOU HAD A CHANCE TO TALK TO THE FOLKS FROM UBER OR LYFT ABOUT THIS, AT ALL?

>> YEAH, IN FACT BEFORE ONE OF OUR -- I BELIEVE THE VETO OVERRIDE VOTES, I HAD AN OPPORTUNITY TO MEET WITH REPRESENTATIVES FROM LYFT, AND IT WAS ACTUALLY A REALLY POSITIVE CONVERSATION.

THEY ALSO ACKNOWLEDGED AT THE TIME THAT THEY BELIEVE DRIVERS SHOULD EARN, YOU KNOW, MINIMUM EXTENSION AND ALSO RECOGNIZED THAT MANY OF THEIR DRIVERS NOT LEARNING THAT.

THEY ALSO SHARED THAT BASED OFF THEIR OWN CAT CLAUSES OF THEIR EARNINGS, DRIVERS ARE MAKING ABOVE MINIMUM WAGE BUT THAT INCLUDES TIPS AND BONUSES AND THAT IS VERY CONCERNING BECAUSE MINNESOTA IS A FAIR WAGE STATE.

WE DO NOT ACCOUNT FOR TIPS AND BONUSES FOR RESIDENTS OR WORKERS A WAGES SO IF THAT'S HOW THEY'RE -- YOU KNOW, ASSUMING THEIR DRIVERS ARE MAKING A MINIMUM WAGE, THAT WILL PUT THEM IN CONFLICT W