Last year, Big Tech companies like Uber and Lyft were getting millions of dollars together for a ballot initiative that would have undercut the rights of their drivers and set a dangerous precedent for workers nationally.
Fortunately, their 2022 ballot initiative — which would have permanently enshrined the misclassification of their drivers as “independent contractors” and denied them basic workplace protections — was knocked off the ballot by a court case. But Uber and Lyft are back at it, collecting signatures to get on the ballot next year.
Their bill — H.1848: An Act establishing rights and obligations of transportation network drivers and transportation network companies — mirrors their ballot initiative effort.
These companies have been fighting for years against providing fair pay and adequate benefits to their drivers, and this bill would entrench a system of low pay and lack of recourse for workplace mistreatment. Massachusetts has a history of strong labor laws, and it’s one we should continue.
Can you write to the Joint Labor & Workforce Committee to encourage them to reject this dangerous bill?
