SEATTLE (AP) – Seattle may soon become the first city to let drivers of ride-hailing companies such as Uber and Lyft collectively bargain over pay and working conditions, a move opposed by the companies and one seen as a test case for the changing 21st century workforce.
The city council is to vote Monday on whether to extend collective bargaining rights for drivers of taxis, for-hire transportation companies and app-based ride-hailing services that are part of the growing on-demand economy.
A national leader on workers’ rights, Seattle was among the first cities to pass laws to gradually raise the minimum wage to $15 and require most employers to provide paid sick leave.
But Councilmember Mike O’Brien says for-hire drivers as independent contractors are excluded from such protections. He wants to take the next step in the fight for workers’ rights and give them a say in their working conditions. Independent contractors aren’t covered by the National Labor Relations Act, which allows for collective bargaining.
Many drivers in Seattle are immigrants who depend on full-time work, but some make less than minimum wage and don’t have basic worker rights, such as sick leave or protection from retaliation, O’Brien said.