In Historic First, Uber and Lyft Drivers Unite to Form Union

AP Photo/Leah Willingham

Drivers for Uber and Lyft united to form the first state-recognized union for ride-share workers in the country last week, marking a historic moment for unionization efforts within the gig economy.

Massachusetts officially certified the organization representing the drivers on Friday, in a move that Governor Maura Healey (D) called a “historic moment.”

“Ride-share drivers are crucial members of our workforce and our communities, and they deserve a real voice in shaping their wages, benefits and working conditions,” she said in a statement to The New York Times. 

The organization, the App Drivers Union, will represent nearly 70,000 workers in the state, giving them the ability to collectively bargain in contract negotiations– the first time an agreement of that kind can be reached, the organization said. The formation of the union marks a massive shift in the years-long debate over the classification of ride-share employees, whose demarcation as independent contractors has consistently posed questions about labor protections.

“For too long, the gig economy was built on a fools’ bargain: the companies got rich and workers scraped by. The rules were rigged,” said April Verrett, President of the Service Employees International Union, which backs the union. “But Massachusetts rideshare drivers flipped the script. They had the audacity and imagination to unrig those rules and win their union. In a moment when working people need hope, these drivers are a shining light. They are steering the future of the labor movement and taking their destiny into their hands.”

Drivers for these app-based companies are not covered by the federal National Labor Relations Act, but were able to form their new union after a 2024 ballot measure in Massachusetts. The measure legalized organization and collective bargaining for drivers, but did not create a union itself. The App Drivers Union’s certification by the state’s Department of Labor Relations came only after a series of steps, including the organization successfully proving that 25% of active drivers chose to be represented by the union. The department said the union represented a soaring 32%.

Uber said in a statement that it planned to work with the union, while pledging to preserve “driver flexibility.” Lyft struck a similar tone,  saying it was “committed to engaging in good faith” with the organization and the new bargaining framework.

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