Uber, Lyft, and DoorDash have finally won the Prop 22 gig worker battle

Uber, Lyft, and DoorDash workers successful California volition stay autarkic contractors aft the state’s Supreme Court upheld Proposition 22, as reported by Calmatters. The unanimous decision issued connected Thursday is simply a triumph for ride-hailing and nutrient transportation services, which person spent millions campaigning for Prop 22 to debar having to classify gig workers arsenic employees.

While Prop 22 guarantees workers some protections, specified arsenic 120 percent of the section minimum wage for each hr spent driving, a wellness security stipend, and reimbursement for job-related injuries, it’s acold from the afloat scope of benefits Uber, Lyft, DoorDash, Instacart, and different services would’ve had to supply if workers were classified arsenic employees.

After voters passed Prop 22 successful 2020, a radical of Uber and Lyft drivers filed a suit that challenged the law. Prop 22 was overturned successful 2021 erstwhile a justice deemed it “unconstitutional,” but an appeals tribunal upheld the instrumentality successful March 2023. In the California Supreme Court’s determination today, Justice Goodwin H. Liu reaffirmed that Prop 22 “does not conflict” with the state’s constitution.

Uber, Lyft, and DoorDash person each issued responses successful enactment of the court’s decision. “From the infinitesimal it became law, Prop 22 has been moving for the millions of drivers and couriers that gain connected platforms similar ours,” Uber writes successful a station connected its website. “Uber unsocial has delivered much than $1 billion in nonstop benefits to date.”

Opponents of Prop 22 are frustrated with the outcome. “We are profoundly disappointed that the authorities Supreme Court has allowed tech corporations to bargain their mode retired of basal labour laws contempt Proposition 22’s inconsistencies with our authorities constitution,” Lorena Gonzalez, the president of the California Federation of Labor Unions, says successful a statement posted online. “These companies person upended our societal contract, forcing workers and the nationalist to instrumentality connected the inherent hazard created by this work, portion they profit.”

Other locations, specified arsenic Massachusetts, Minneapolis, and New York City, person established immoderate extortion for Uber, Lyft, and DoorDash drivers, but they’re inactive classified arsenic contractors.