I can't read the article (paywall), but I can say that two of my friends who drove for Uber don't anymore, and they say it's because it's too hard to make money.
I'm guessing that if your friends were having a hard time making money on Uber its probably because there was a surplus of drivers and not enough riders. Paying people to do a job with no demand is generally a bad way to allocate resources.
Why should some occupations not be eligible for a living wage? There is a demand for cab drivers, why should they spend 40-50 hours a week meeting that demand and then be denied a living wage? As long as we need someone to do that job, we should compensate them for putting in the effort.
Well, we have the money for it. I'm not sure that this is the best investment of our resources, versus providing for food, shelter, and healthcare for everyone.
I'd like every job to have a living wage.