Minnesota rideshare drivers push for bill that would create a pathway to unionize
Rideshare drivers are asking the Minnesota Legislature to allow them to unionize, months after new protections and pay requirements brokered last year took effect in December.
Supporters touted the provisions of that law as the strongest in the nation and it represented a deal that kept Uber and Lyft from pumping the brakes on service in the state. They had threatened to do so in the wake of a separate local Minneapolis ordinance, which the statute overrides.
But now drivers hope state lawmakers shift gears and allow them to collectively bargain directly with the rideshare companies for pay and benefits in the future.
They are classified as independent contractors, not employees, which means they do not have the right to unionize under current federal and state law. This proposal would create an exception, supporters said Tuesday. It would not change their status to employees and also wouldn't impact other independent contractors in the state.
"Being able to have a union would mean we could have a voice to stand up for fair pay and benefits and have a say in our workplace," Abdi Haybe, a rideshare driver, told reporters during a news conference.
Uber in a statement noted that Minnesota's law provides some of the highest pay standards in the country. Under the law, drivers are paid a minimum rate of $1.28 per mile and $0.31 per minute, which DFL leaders last year said amounted to a 20% pay increase.
The law also requires the rideshare companies to contract with a driver advocacy organization to help with deactivation appeals and outreach about drivers' rights. Uber works with the Confederation of Somali Community to fulfill that requirement.
"Over the last few years, drivers, rideshare companies, and legislators worked collaboratively on addressing what drivers themselves established as their own priorities. It is not constructive to have late-to-the-game parties show up to risk what's been achieved to advance their own interests," an Uber spokesperson said.
Lyft did not respond to requests for comment on the proposal.
The legislation is still in the process of drafting, but its authors say it will resemble the framework in Massachusetts, the first state to allow rideshare drivers to unionize after voters there last fall approved a ballot measure.
"Those policies did pass, and I think we all stand behind it. They're very good for our drivers," said bill author Sen. Zaynab Mohamed, DFL-Minneapolis, of the law that just took effect late last year. "But moving forward, what does it look like 5 to 10 years from now? Are these folks going to come every year and ask for [legislators] to do a pay increase or are we giving them the power to be able to negotiate with the companies?"
Its future this year in the Legislature, though, is uncertain. Last year, Democrats along party lines approved the deal in the final hours of session when they controlled both chambers. Now, the Legislature is divided — Democrats have a majority in the Senate and Republicans have a one-seat advantage in the state House that could be tied after a special election next month.
The make-up of the capitol will force both parties to pass bipartisan priorities before the session ends.
