Washington, D.C. — A promising new strategy to enable rideshare drivers at companies such as Uber and Lyft to unionize and bargain collectively first became law in Massachusetts in November 2024. A new Center for American Progress report examines how this emerging model will test whether a simpler path to a union and sectoral bargaining can build power for rideshare drivers and improve jobs in the industry.
Massachusetts is the first state to create an easier path for rideshare drivers to form a union and collectively bargain, but other states are considering doing the same. This strategy could spread to California as soon as this fall, with drivers in Minnesota and Illinois also pushing state policymakers to consider this action.
This new CAP report evaluates Massachusetts’ new law, how the law could raise standards for drivers, and what challenges in the rideshare industry this model will need to overcome to create a scalable model that delivers real results to strengthen workers rights and push back against the growing influence of corporations and technology. In addition to exploring this new policy model in detail, the report provides an update on its status in the states and poses key questions about the model that need to be answered.
“Massachusetts has been a great experiment into whether a different type of unionization and collective bargaining process can dramatically improve the quality of jobs in the rideshare industry,” said David Madland, senior fellow and author of the report. “All eyes will be on the outcomes of this model and if it is able to level the playing field between workers and corporations as well as address the technological threats that many workers face.”
Read the report: “State Rideshare Collective Bargaining Policies Hold Great Promise” by David Madland
For more information or to speak with an expert, please contact Sarah Nadeau at [email protected].