Rulings like this (regardless of if they're good or bad for Uber) are good for us simply because they give us a bit more signal on where things are going and how to prepare for it.
Some of regulation of ride-sharing seems to be done out of a spirit of bitterness that they aren't "following the rules", and it doesn't seem to be in benefit of anyone.
Some rules are in place for a reason. The US is sadly awful when it comes to workers rights. It's why Uber can get away with this garbage. It's why "right to work" and "at will employment" laws exist. It's why IT workers are overtime exempt. It's why "union" is a dirty word in many circles.
Skirting employment law isn't being DISRUPTIVE! It's just being a scummy business.
No. Treating your workers poorly makes you a scummy business. Not every case of skirting employment law is a case of treating your workers poorly, and not every case of poor treatment is covered by employment law.
Conflating legality with morality is a cornerstone of authoritarianism.
And this ruling won't affect the flexibility at all, and they'll be guaranteed minimum wage (which if the pay really is great won't make a difference at all).