In an effort to improve the working conditions of rideshare drivers, politicians in Massachusetts have introduced new bills in the state House and Senate that would not only pursue collective bargaining rights across companies, but would also guarantee a minimum wage, paid sick leave, and other benefits for drivers.
If passed, the new bills would also require companies like Uber and Lyft to cover some driver expenses and contribute to the government’s unemployment insurance system. However, it is important to note that the legislation will not decide whether drivers should be classified as employees or independent contractors. But the Senate bill’s co-sponsor, Jason Lewis, has stated that the bill would establish requirements that apply regardless of a driver’s status.
This isn’t the first legal action against ridesharing companies
This is not the first time Massachusetts has taken legal action against Uber and Lyft. Back in 2020, the state sued Uber and Lyft for allegedly misclassifying drivers as contractors and denying any protections granted under state labor law. In response, the companies proposed a ballot measure that would offer benefits in return for requiring that drivers be treated as contractors, but the state’s Supreme Judicial Court rejected the proposal last year.
Amongst the unions, the bills have received some mixed reactions. The Service Employees International Union, which supports the bill, says it “rewrites the rules” and gives drivers the conditions they have sought for over a decade.
However, the Massachusetts Coalition for Independent Work, an industry-run organization that opposes the legislation, has claimed that measures granting employee status do not reflect the “vast majority” of drivers who want to remain contractors. The coalition prefers bills that would bring the anti-employee ballot proposal to the legislature as well as create portable benefit accounts.
States like Massachusetts are becoming the battleground for rideshare workers to ensure better working conditions for themselves, and these new bills are only one part of a larger fight. Companies like Uber and Lyft have been facing similar challenges in New York and California, as states are finally introducing legislation to reclassify gig economy workers as employees.