Uber and Lyft Drivers in Massachusetts Win Right to Unionize - The New York Times

A state ballot measure was the first of its kind in the United States, but labor advocates worry it could lock Uber and Lyft drivers out of full-time employment status. By Eli Tan Eli Tan covers the gig economy, Uber and Lyft. Ride-hailing drivers in Massachusetts won the right to unionize on Wednesday through a statewide ballot initiative, a first-of-its-kind victory that could set a precedent for gig worker legislation across the country. The initiative passed 54 percent to 46 percent, and will give drivers for apps like Uber and Lyft the ability to form unions that have collective bargaining power — while still being classified as independent contractors. The ballot measure was contentious among labor advocates, many of whom opposed it as a setback in the larger movement to reclassify ride-hailing drivers as employees who would, by default, be protected by the National Labor Relations Act. The initiative, brought by the Service Employees International Union and the International Ass

A state ballot measure was the first of its kind in the United States, but labor advocates worry it could lock Uber and Lyft drivers out of full-time employment status. By Eli Tan Eli Tan covers the gig economy, Uber and Lyft. Ride-hailing drivers in Massachusetts won the right to unionize on Wednesday through a statewide ballot initiative, a first-of-its-kind victory that could set a precedent for gig worker legislation across the country. The initiative passed 54 percent to 46 percent, and will give drivers for apps like Uber and Lyft the ability to form unions that have collective bargainin