Senator Cortese Presents Landmark Bill To Allow Rideshare Drivers to Finally Unionize in California
SACRAMENTO – On the California Senate floor today, Senator Dave Cortese (D-Silicon), chair of the Senate Transportation Committee, presented the landmark Assembly Bill 1340, also known as the Transportation Network Company Drivers Labor Relations Act, that establishes collective bargaining rights for more than 800,000 rideshare drivers. The bill passed the Senate and now heads to the Governor’s desk.
AB 1340, authored by Assembly Members Buffy Wicks (D-Oakland) and Marc Berman (D-Menlo Park), sets up a new system for drivers to form unions and negotiate with companies like Uber and Lyft, while also maintaining their status as independent contractors. The bill is supported by Governor Gavin Newsom, Senate President Pro Tem Mike McGuire, Assembly Speaker Robert Rivas, and unions like SEIU California.
“This is a milestone for the labor movement in California, as well as a turning point in our state’s transportation landscape. Many drivers take home as little as $9 an hour after expenses,” said Senator Dave Cortese, a longtime supporter of unions and Senate Transportation Chair. “Rideshare drivers need a stronger voice to stand up against poverty wages and poor working conditions. AB 1340 provides a statutory path toward a living wage by granting drivers the ability to unionize and bargain for fair pay and benefits.”
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