Ride-hail drivers have fought to self-organize harder in Seattle than in nearly any other American city, and lawmakers in Seattle have been struggling to regulate ride-hailing companies for two years, but have so far failed to compel Uber, Lyft and others to share the data the city needs to write reasonable legislation.
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As a result, Councilmember Mike O’Brien noted that many of those workers earn below minimum wage, and they have a hard time making their voices heard when lodging complaints with their companies.
The National Labor Relations Act does not extend collective bargaining rights to independent contractors.
“You have to work lot of hours, like 24 hours a day”, said Diawara Papa, a driver who started working with ride-hailing companies as a way to stay closer to his family after working on Alaska fishing boats.
“The Seattle law is meant to give collective bargaining rights to those who are independent contractors”, Liebman said. Seattle may soon become the first c…
Mayor Ed Murray said he supported union rights for workers but had concerns about the measure.
But the mayor also notes that while he will not sign the ordinance, that will not prevent the bill from becoming Seattle law. The proposal was what Wired earlier called a “bold plan” and “clever workaround” to federal law by allowing a certified nonprofit to represent drivers.
The ordinance passed by the council on Monday afternoon allows drivers completing a certain number of rides per month to elect representatives and join a driver representative organization. They say the ordinance would violate federal antitrust laws by allowing independent transportation providers to conspire to artificially drive up transportation costs. Seattle is the first United States city to grant Uber and Lyft drivers the right to form a union. The company faces a class-action lawsuit in California on behalf of some drivers who wish to be considered full-time employees, not contractors.
What appeared to be mostly supporters packed council chambers before the vote, with loud cheers and applause each time someone spoke in support and even more applause when the ordinance was passed.
“Our treatment went from worse to worst”, said Gobena, who works for both Uber and Lyft.
During a limited public comment period, some for-hire drivers from companies like East Side For Hire said they felt left out of the process of crafting this bill and urged either a “no” vote or a delay.
Uber and Lyft say drivers have flexibility in deciding when they work and how many hours, and many chose to drive to supplement their income.
“Unfortunately, the ordinance passed today threatens the privacy of drivers, imposes substantial costs on passengers and the city, and conflicts with longstanding federal law”, Lyft’s statement said.
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According to Dawn Gearhart, business representative for the Teamsters Local 117 Union, a court battle over the new policy is expected.
