California may be a top tourist destination not just for the locals there, but also for international travelers, but this state isn’t the friendliest for rideshare drivers.
A new bill is underway for approval, and when it is, it will allow Lyft and Uber drivers to unionize so they can fight for higher wages and better working conditions.
The bill is Assembly Bill 1340, and if it passes, the Golden State would become only the second state to give ridesharing drivers the full right to bargain collectively. The first state to do so is the Old Colony States, Massachusetts.
However, in such an interesting turn of events, the ridesharing apps have opposed the legislation.
The reason: it goes against the “spirit” of Proposition 22. This proposition is a ballot initiative that cemented gig workers’ status as independent contractors in the state, a long, ongoing conversation on how drivers must be tagged under the law.
When this proposition was passed, drivers and other gig workers may have gained benefits, but they were never considered employees. This matters the most in such a way that not being considered as such is heavier than not being able to drive continuously.
Because of the turn of events concerning this, several gig workers did not know where to turn when they needed to claim unpaid wages or health care stipends.
Some drivers are not entirely in disagreement; they believe that unionizing could help solve issues. However, unionization, for others, would mean huge changes to business models, including higher ride prices and the like.
“We can benefit a lot from being unionized,” stated Hector Lopez, who has driven for Lyft in the Bay Area for several years. “It might be the only way to get fair wages.”
Another loophole that the legislation may give rise to is limited communication among drivers when they need help. Originally, drivers could use the rideshare app they are signed up for to communicate with official representatives of the company. Otherwise, they could talk to them over the phone. However, some drivers think this isn’t the most effective route, so they’d want to establish unions, so they could communicate with human rights institutions, too.
“We could have a union, which would have an office, where we could get face-to-face help,” Lopez went on. “That’s something that’s really big that they took away from us.”
So, what really could the bill do, minus the reactions from the drivers? The proposal stated the bill would give ridesharing drivers the right to form and join unions, which could be used to bargain in good faith, such as when drivers needed to lobby with the company.
Third-party groups are also opposing the legislation, as well as various chambers of commerce and even business groups.
Ridesharing Forum tried reaching out to Lyft for comment, but they did not issue their official statement.
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