Seattle Allows Taxi, Uber, and Lyft Drivers to Unionize

Seattle would be the first city in the country to create a system where these drivers have the rights typically afforded to unions.

The Seattle City Council gave unanimous approval Monday afternoon to be the first city in the nation to allow ride-share drivers the right to unionize. Seattle City Council passed the bill (with an 8-0 vote), however, the city’s mayor still has to sign it for it to pass in full. Then a non-profit organization would step in to be a bargaining representative for the drivers with the city. “My intent is to make sure in that the people, the drivers, the workers in our community continue to have access to acceptable wage jobs”, Councilmember Mike O’Brien stated. He said the city had been a leader before in “innovative policies”, like last year’s passing of a $15-per-hour minimum wage law, a move followed by San Francisco and Los Angeles, among other cities.

The company has argued that the ordinance “conflicts with longstanding federal law” and threatens the privacy of drivers.

Before the vote, he sent the city council a layer outlining his protests, which included “flaws” of who and how the city will determine as a “qualifying driver” and the governmental expense.

“This legislation is a huge victory for all the underpaid workers seeking to rebuild the labor movement and fight for a decent life”, said Council member Kshama Sawant. Murray anxious about the unknown costs of administering the measure. However, he noted that under the City Charter the ordinance does not need his signature to come into force.

“Early on, these companies were really great”, a driver for Uber and Lyft tells the New York Times.

It isn’t even clear how many Uber drivers there are in Seattle.

Legal experts have been mixed on how the bill would be challenged in court, including whether the ordinance violates antitrust laws because it would allow drivers to get together and set rates.

But it has been dealing in recent months with driver protests, local government bans and a class-action lawsuit by drivers.

Drivers from several cities, including Seattle, are suing Uber for categorizing them as independent contractors, and politicians in Washington, D.C., and elsewhere are talking about whether a new benefits system or new worker category might be needed.

Uber said about half its drivers work fewer than 10 hours a week, and there is such a high turnover of drivers that designating them as employees or allowing them to unionize doesn’t make sense.

Drivers for ride-hailing services have been trying to organize for some time, but have been limited.