United States: Uber driver status questioned in California

A sign marks a meeting place for Lyft and Uber users at San Diego State University in San Diego, California on May 13, 2020. REUTERS - Mike Blake

Text by: RFI Follow

2 min

Contract or employee?

In the United States, the status of the drivers of Uber, the world leader in VTC, is called into question in California.

A judge ruled on Friday August 20 that the referendum last year which confirmed their independence is inapplicable. 

Advertising

Read more

In November 2020, Uber and Lyft, the American leaders of the VTC had obtained (with 58% of the votes), a "yes" in the referendum on the independent status of their drivers.

This is Proposition 22. A victory then in the legal fight in California to reclassify these drivers as employees. 

With its competitor Lyft and delivery services, Uber has spent more than $ 200 million to promote “yes” to

Proposition 22

.

But Judge Frank Roesh in California has ruled that Proposition 22 was unconstitutional and " 

unenforceable 

" because it limited the power of lawmakers to define, in the future, these drivers as workers with social rights. 

Hope for VTC drivers

This new twist is a hope for these drivers and all those who work with mobile applications and campaign for employee status.

A statute which would give them many labor rights: minimum wage, sick leave, unemployment benefits, payment of overtime, among others. 

Uber plans to appeal the judge's decision.

A year ago, three months before the vote, Uber and Lyft threatened to suspend their service in California, which would have put tens of thousands of people out of work.

Uber embodies the widely adopted, but also widely criticized, per-task economy in many major cities around the world.

However, the group has never succeeded in proving the

viability of its model

, since it has never yet made a profit.

.

Newsletter

Receive all international news directly in your mailbox

I subscribe

Follow all the international news by downloading the RFI application

google-play-badge_FR

  • United States

  • Transport

  • Employment and Work