BOSTON (AP) — Drivers for ride-hailing apps such asUberand Lyft celebrated Tuesday after Massachusetts became the first state to recognize them as a union, a milestone in the growing effort to organize gig-economy workers classified as independent contractors under federal labor law.
The victory could provide a model for similar campaigns gaining traction in states including California and Illinois, where labor organizers are increasingly targeting app-based industries as drivers also grapple with the rapid expansion ofself-driving technology.
As drivers waved signs and chanted with the gold dome of the Massachusetts State House providing a backdrop, labor leaders described Friday’s certification as the largest private-sector organizing win since Ford autoworkers unionized in 1941.
Uber and Lyft said they planned to work with the new bargaining framework as negotiations move forward. Uber said it would work with the union and regulators while preserving “driver flexibility and hard-won benefits,” while Lyft said it was committed to “engaging in good faith” and “helping drivers succeed while keeping rideshare affordable and dependable for everyone who counts on it.”
Jean Fredo, who has driven for Uber for more than seven years, said he hopes the union will bring better pay, stronger protections against sudden deactivations and more stability for drivers.
“With the union, it will not feel like we’re working for nothing,” he said in French through a translator. “Now the money will not only stay in the billionaire’s pockets. The money will actually come to the workers who work very hard.”
The certification became possible after the state’s voters approved a 2024 ballot measure creating a first-in-the-nation framework allowing ride-hailing drivers to unionize and bargain collectively while remaining independent contractors. Organizers say the union will ultimately represent nearly 70,000 drivers statewide.
Victoria Acosta, a mother who drives for both Uber and Lyft, said she spent months knocking on doors and speaking with drivers as organizers built support for the effort.
“Without the support of the drivers, we wouldn’t be here,” Acosta said in Spanish through a translator, adding that she hopes the victory inspires drivers in other states.
Fredo said when he started driving for Uber he appreciated the flexibility and the ability to make his own schedule while still being present for his family. But over time, he said, he found himself working longer hours while earning less as gas and maintenance costs climbed.
Source: Fast Company
