Days after striking a settlement with Uber and Lyft that requires the companies to boost driver pay and benefits, Massachusetts Attorney General Andrea Campbell threw her support behind a separate effort to allow those drivers to unionize.
Campbell on Tuesday endorsed a labor-backed ballot question that would let on-demand transportation drivers organize and collectively bargain, describing it as an important addition to the terms her office already secured.
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"Our settlement with Uber and Lyft secured an unprecedented package of minimum wage, benefits and protections for workers. It's a strong foundation that can and should be built upon," Campbell said in a statement provided by the Drivers Demand Justice Coalition. "I'm proud to support this ballot question, which if passed, would empower and allow workers to collectively bargain for even greater pay and benefits."
The agreement between Campbell's office and Uber and Lyft unveiled Thursday requires the companies to pay drivers at least $32.50 per hour for the time between accepting a ride and dropping off a passenger, and addresses paid sick leave, occupational accident insurance and access to health benefits. The companies will also pay $175 million, most of which will become restitution for drivers.
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Uber, Lyft, DoorDash and Instacart for years had been pursuing their own ballot proposal that would define drivers as independent contractors instead of employees, but they ended their campaign in the wake of the settlement. Now, the unionization measure will be the only app-based driver question decided by voters this fall.
Organizers plan to submit the final batch of signatures later in the day to secure a spot on the Nov. 5 ballot.
