Thursday, September 4, hundreds of gig drivers drove, honked, waved, and rallied as they caravaned around the state capitol, celebrating a major breakthrough in their decade-long fight to win union rights and showing their support for AB 1340 (Wicks/Berman).

The event came after the announcement on Friday, August 29, that gig drivers have won the support of Governor Gavin Newsom, Speaker Robert Rivas, and Senate President Pro Tempore Mike McGuire to make AB 1340 law — opening up the opportunity for 800,000 gig drivers to join a union.

Hector Castellanos, a driver leader with the California Gig Workers Union, said, ”The companies are making more than ever and drivers are making less. We’re not just workers — we’re parents, we’re immigrants, we’re people trying to make a decent life. But every year, the job gets harder. We’re deactivated without warning. We’re silenced when we speak up. We have no voice. That’s why we need a union. With the support of the governor and leaders of the assembly and the state senate, we are ready to make sure that AB 1340 becomes law.”

Rideshare drivers’ historic victory and the final push for the bill to move out of the state senate and to Governor Newsom’s desk comes after workers have been fighting and organizing for more than a decade with the SEIU California Gig Workers Union.

Days after Labor Day, and as Trump aims to destroy union rights, AB 1340’s historic expansion of organizing rights shows California is leading the way on building a worker-first economy. Having won a seat at the table with Uber and Lyft to bargain over pay, benefits, and issues like deactivation, rideshare drivers are leading the fight for union rights that are the foundation for middle-class life in America. They’ve also won overwhelming support from California’s elected leaders, showing worker values are California values.