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California Rideshare Driver Statement on State Supreme Court Decision on Prop 22 [1]

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Date: 2024-07-25

Following the California Supreme Court’s decision on Proposition 22, plaintiff and Uber and Lyft driver Hector Castellanos released the following statement:

“Over the last three years, gig workers across California have experienced firsthand that Prop 22 is nothing more than a bait-and-switch meant to enrich global corporations at the expense of the Black, brown and immigrant workers who power their earnings. Prop 22 has allowed gig companies like Uber, Lyft and DoorDash to deprive us of a living wage, access to workers compensation, paid sick leave and meaningful health care coverage. Today’s ruling only strengthens our demand for the right to join together in a union so that we can begin improving the gig economy for workers and our customers.”

Statement from SEIU California Executive Director, Tia Orr:

“We’re disappointed in today’s ruling. Still, we are hopeful that an earlier ruling which validated the state legislature’s authority to pass laws enabling rideshare drivers to join together in a union gives workers a path to collectively bargain for better pay, benefits and protections. Gig workers are determined to ensure fairness in the gig economy and won’t stop fighting to win greater workplace rights and protections on the job.”

Statement from SEIU International President, April Verrett:

“While today’s California Supreme court decision is disappointing, Uber and Lyft drivers in the state refuse to back down from their fight to win union rights and bring these companies to the bargaining table.

“The rideshare driver movement that started in California has inspired drivers across the US to organize and seek bold, creative ways to rewrite the rules so they can join together in a union. In Massachusetts, Uber and Lyft drivers have launched a first-of-its-kind ballot initiative that paves a path to unionization for more than 70,000 drivers in the state – and that has the approval of 2 out of 3 MA voters. In Minnesota, and other cities and states, drivers have mobilized to fight anti-worker campaigns bankrolled by Uber and Lyft.

“Deep-pocketed corporations may be able to outspend us, but nobody can out-organize SEIU’s 2 million members. We are committed to fiercely backing workers across our economy who have been written out and left behind and helping them knock down big obstacles to winning their union rights.”

Statements from CA Senate and Assembly Labor Committee Chairs:

“As Senate Labor Committee Chair, I am deeply disappointed by a court decision that puts workers at risk by allowing multi-billion dollar corporations like Uber, Lyft and Doordash to exempt themselves from providing critical worker protections like workers’ compensation,” said Senate Labor Committee Chair Lola Smallwood-Cuevas. “While this decision is frustrating, it must also be motivating. I’m more determined than ever to ensure that all workers – including our diverse and Black, Indigenous, and people of color-led gig workforce – have the basic protections of workers compensation, paid sick leave, family leave, and disability insurance and the right to form a union.”

“California’s Supreme Court erred today by siding with multi-billion dollar corporations’ efforts to write their own laws to put profits over people,” said Assembly Labor Chair Liz Ortega. “Being injured on the job shouldn’t mean that you and your family are placed in financial jeopardy, but that’s what workers face when corporations misclassify them to avoid employers’ responsibilities like workers’ compensation. As Assembly Labor Chair, I won’t stand by while CEOs undermine our laws to hurt workers; we’ll keep fighting for all workers to have basic protections, dignity, and a voice in their workplace.”

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[1] Url: https://seiuca.org/press-releases/2024/07/25/california-rideshare-driver-statement-on-state-supreme-court-decision-on-prop-22/

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