Marketplace All-in-One New CA law requires Uber and Lyft to bargain with drivers
Oct 20, 2025
Levi Sumagaysay, a labor and policy reporter at CalMatters, discusses California's groundbreaking law mandating that Uber and Lyft drivers can collectively bargain. He highlights how this could change the dynamic for independent contractors, who traditionally lack certain labor rights. Levi anticipates national implications, compares the situation to Massachusetts and New York, and outlines drivers' main demands, including higher wages and better protections. The conversation also delves into organizing challenges and the unclear right to strike under the new law.
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State-Level Sectoral Bargaining
- California's law creates sectoral bargaining for Uber and Lyft drivers, letting the industry negotiate collectively.
- Levi Sumagaysay says this could help 800,000 drivers win improved conditions like higher pay or protections.
California Could Set A National Pattern
- California follows Massachusetts in allowing ride-hail drivers to unionize, making broader adoption possible.
- Levi Sumagaysay notes similar efforts in New York and predicts the model could spread elsewhere.
Drivers Hard To Organize
- Organizing drivers is slow because many drivers rarely interact and information doesn't flow well among them.
- Levi Sumagaysay describes drivers only meeting at places like airport parking lots, which hinders unionization.