Wednesday, June 25, more than 100 Uber and Lyft drivers with SEIU California Gig Workers United packed the state capitol, urging the Senate Labor, Public Employment, and Retirement Committee to pass AB 1340. The bill, which would give rideshare drivers the right to unionize and negotiate with gig corporations over wages and working conditions, cleared the committee.

Nicholas Cabalar, a driver leader with SEIU California Gig Workers United, testified: “I’m losing about 30% of my income because I don’t have the option to drive at any airports anymore. If I had representation and the support of 800,000 rideshare drivers in California, I know that my rights to a fair process would be respected. But currently there is little to no recourse when it comes to deactivations. I’ve tried to appeal to no avail. This is the experience of rideshare drivers. We are at the mercy of these companies like Uber and Lyft, and our livelihoods hang in the balance. Drivers deserve to be treated with dignity. AB 1340 is a pathway to obtaining justice and winning a real voice for the drivers.”

AB 1340 would not only give drivers a choice to unite in a union for more power to fight for improved pay and working conditions but would protect drivers from retaliation for joining together in a union. Rideshare drivers say a union would benefit drivers and riders alike by helping create a more stable workforce. 

Working as a gig rideshare driver often means:

• Low pay. According to a 2024 UC Berkeley Labor Center study, California gig rideshare drivers earn a median employee-equivalent pay of $5.97/hour, after expenses. Even as average rideshare prices rose more than 7% between 2023 and 2024, Uber driver earnings decreased by 3.4% and Lyft driver earnings decreased by 13.9%, according to Gridwise. Meanwhile in California, rent, food, and car insurance costs have increased.
• No protections from arbitrary terminations. Drivers have little to no recourse to appeal deactivations, which are permanent or temporary terminations of gig drivers’ access to use Uber or Lyft platforms to earn a living. Deactivation decisions are often made by AI-powered algorithms, with the appeals process facilitated by chatbots. According to a gig rideshare driver survey conducted by the Action Center on Race and Economy, deactivated drivers reported making nearly 8 attempts each to regain access to their accounts, yet 2 out of 3 reported they still didn’t receive meaningful help.
• No real way to demand safer working conditions, despite widespread reports of harassment and assaults on the job.