Newsom, Lawmakers Reach Deal to Allow Uber, Lyft Drivers to Unionize

‘This moment has been a long fight for over a decade in the making,’ said Tia Orr, executive director of labor organization SEIU California.
Newsom, Lawmakers Reach Deal to Allow Uber, Lyft Drivers to Unionize
Passengers waiting for Uber or Lyft at San Diego International Airport on March 20, 2025. Jane Yang/The Epoch Times
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California Gov. Gavin Newsom and state lawmakers have brokered a deal with Uber and Lyft, granting rideshare drivers the right to unionize while preserving their status as independent contractors.

The agreement, finalized on Aug. 31, pairs AB 1340, a labor-backed measure allowing over 800,000 drivers to form unions and negotiate wages, with SB 371, a company-favored cut to insurance mandates that slices coverage from $1 million to $60,000 per person and $300,000 per accident.

Kimberly Hayek
Kimberly Hayek
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Kimberly Hayek is a reporter for The Epoch Times. She covers California news and has worked as an editor and on scene at the U.S.-Mexico border during the 2018 migrant caravan crisis.