AFL-CIO praises Seattle ride-hailing vote

The AFL-CIO is praising a vote by the Seattle City Council to allow drivers for services such as Uber and Lyft to collectively bargain like unionized workers, which is being hailed a major victory for workers at on-demand companies by labor advocates. 

The new Seattle law gives drivers for Uber and Lyft and other similar ride-hailing services the right to vote to collectively bargain through a non-profit.

The AFL-CIO said Tuesday that the vote to allow ride-hailing drivers to organize is a big step forward for the industries that have become known as the on-demand economy. 

{mosads}”The ‘on-demand’ or ‘gig’ economy isn’t really run by apps or machines; it’s powered by the labor of working people,” the AFL-CIO said in a statement. 

“The vote by the Seattle City Council represents progress in the fight to extend collective bargaining rights to all workers, regardless of whether they drive for Uber or work in a factory,” the union continued. “Whether your work is online or offline, everyone deserves the right to speak up together on the job.  We applaud the drivers for taking a stand on this important issue, and stand with working people across the country in their efforts to have their voices heard and create a better life.” 

Drivers for Uber and other ride-hailing services are typically viewed as independent contractors, so they usually do not get the benefits that go to many employees such as a right to negotiate with their employer as a group.

Drivers for ride-hailing services have been trying to organize for some time, but those instances have been limited. Companies such as Uber and Lyft have countered that drivers are hired as independent contractors, which does not give them the same rights as other full-time employees. 

They note that many ride-hailing drivers are attracted to the flexible hours that are possible under the agreements. 

Lyft said in a statement before the Seattle vote that the law “threatens the privacy of drivers, imposes substantial costs on passengers and the City, and conflicts with longstanding federal law. We have urged the full Council and the Mayor to reject the bill.”

In some places, workers formed app-based drivers associations have affiliated with local unions. The association that currently organizes Seattle’s drivers could attempt to organize them under the city’s new law.

-David McCabe contributed to this report.