Uber and Lyft drivers line up in their vehicles before driving in a pro-union march through a section of Los Angeles International Airport on Oct. 2, 2019.Mario Tama/Getty Images
Some of the country’s largest ride-sharing companies plan to ask California voters to guarantee that their drivers are independent contractors instead of employees.
They are challenging a new state law making it harder for companies like Uber and Lyft to classify their drivers as independent contractors. Making drivers employees would provide them with protections including a minimum wage and access to workers compensation.
A group called Protect App-Based Drivers and Services announced Tuesday that it will push a ballot initiative guaranteeing that drivers remain independent contractors. They would be guaranteed 120 per cent of the minimum wage, 30 cents per mile for expenses and a health care stipend for drivers who work at least 15 hours per week.
Uber, Lyft and DoorDash have pledged a combined $90 million to support the initiative.