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Massachusetts Uber, Lyft drivers certify first statewide ride-hailing union amid automation fears

Members of the App Drivers Union hold a rally outside the Massachusetts State House after the announcement that it had become the first certified union of rideshare drivers in the nation, on Tuesday, May 26, 2026, in Boston. (AP Photo/Leah Willingham)
Members of the App Drivers Union hold a rally outside the Massachusetts State House after the announcement that it had become the first certified union of rideshare drivers in the nation, on Tuesday, May 26, 2026, in Boston. (AP Photo/Leah Willingham) Members of the App Drivers Union hold a rally outside the Massachusetts State House after the announcement that it had become the first certified union of rideshare drivers in the nation, on Tuesday, May 26, 2026, in Boston. (AP Photo/Leah Willingham)

By LEAH WILLINGHAM / Associated Press 4 min read


BOSTON (AP) — Drivers in Massachusetts for ride-hailing apps such as Uber and Lyft became the first in the nation Tuesday to certify a union, marking a milestone in the growing effort to organize gig-economy workers amid ongoing concerns over pay, expenses and working conditions.

The victory could provide a model for similar campaigns gaining traction in states including California and Illinois, where labor organizers are increasingly targeting app-based industries as drivers also grapple with the rapid expansion of self-driving vehicle technology.

Fully driverless commercial rides without a human operator are not currently permitted in Massachusetts.

As drivers waved signs and chanted with the gold dome of the Massachusetts State House providing a backdrop, labor leaders described the victory as the largest private-sector organizing win since Ford autoworkers unionized in 1941.