Massachusetts Becomes First State to Recognize Uber and Lyft Drivers’ Union

Drivers for ride-hailing apps such as Uber and Lyft celebrated after Massachusetts became the first state to recognize their union, a milestone in the growing effort to organize gig-economy workers classified as independent contractors under federal labor law, Leah Willingham reported for The Associated Press (AP).

 U.S., ride-hailing drivers are typically classified as independent contractors. (Photo: Lyft)

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 of self-driving technology.

As drivers waved signs and chanted with the gold dome of the Massachusetts State House as a backdrop, labor leaders described the certification as a major private-sector organizing win.

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 billionaires’ pockets. It will actually go to the workers who work very hard.”

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.”