California’s proposal will give the concerts the right to unite

From Yue Stella YuCalmness

This story was originally published by CalmattersS Register about their ballots.

After years of tushling with concert companies, unions in California want to expand the rights of workers again, allowing drivers to unite.

And as in the past in the past, expect a sharp opposition from business.

Supported by the International Union of California Employees, democratic MPs have revealed a measure on Tuesday, which will allow drivers to bargain with companies such as Uber and Lyft for better pay and benefits, a step towards more protection for concerts.

“We uphold the principles that all the work has dignity,” said Oklland Buffy Wicks’ Assembly member, who introduced A assembly bill 1340, at a press conference on Tuesday. “We stand the right of every worker to have a real voice.”

SEIU said over 600,000 driving drivers across the country will benefit if the legislation is adopted and signed by law.

Uber said in a statement that the proposed legislation will make rides in California more expensive “while threatening the flexible jobs on which thousands depend.”

“The drivers are clear: they want to remain independent and keep the freedom to choose when and how they work, with access to meaningful benefits,” the statement said.

Lyft CJ Macklin spokesman declined to tell Calmatters where the company company was standing, but said that Proposal 22Approved by voters in 2020, reflects the will of the voters and that the company works to “improve the experience of drivers”.

Efforts to unite workers reflect approved by voters Massachusetts voteThe first country to entitle the applications -based collective negotiation.

So far Uber and Lyft have won the work battle

In California, efforts have come for nearly five years after RideShare companies blocked an attempt to recognize concerts as employees.

State law that came into force in 2020 known as AB 5They will probably be entitled to these workers for unemployment benefits, minimum wage and others. But concert companies Struggled with him in court and poured over $ 200 million In prop. 22. Voters approved the vote measure to keep workers at concerts as independent performers, while companies promise better benefits the same year. Companies like Lyft, Uber, Doordash and Instacart spend tens of millions of dollars – More than 10 times larger than the opposition – in support of support 22. After its passage, Gig Companies raised their pricesS

But no state agency has been Application of support 22 As it comes into force, leaving workers who have been waiting for years in the hope that their salaries and benefits are allowed.

The passage of prop. 22 missed the hopes of concerts to be recognized as employees in California, said Lorena Gonzalez Fletcher, president of the California Labor Federation, who is the author of AB 5 as a member of the legislature. She said this year the proposal is the second best for the original law.

“We believe that the right to collectively bargaining around a number of issues, as independent contractors are far higher than nothing,” she said in an interview. “We support this, but obviously it’s not what we initially hoped.”

During the event on Tuesday, many ride drivers consider prop. 22 empty promise from companies such as Uber and Lyft, arguing that companies do not fulfill better salaries and benefits.

“Now we are only their money manufacturers,” said Francisco Magdalen, a nine -year driver in Los Angeles. “That’s why we like to have an alliance. I want US drivers to be able to negotiate, to improve things for everyone.”

But the details remain unclear: the measure does not determine which drivers would be entitled to collective negotiation or how many votes would need the Union by their members to be certified.

Some labor advocates believe that legislators should continue to try to protect workers, such as determining a floor at a minimum wage or explicitly protecting workers’ right to strike.

The language of prop. 22 guarantees that companies will pay the drivers 120% of the minimum wage translated Payments ranging from $ 5.64 to $ 27.58 per hourS Moore said it was too low.

“If you are going to call this for a salary, this is really a salary dungeon,” she said, arguing that the new legislation must also put a higher floor for salaries for driving drivers.

The proposal is expected to be heard in the assembly committees in a few weeks.

Calmatters Levi Sumagaysay’s CalMatters Economy reporter has contributed to reporting.

This article was Originally Published on CalMatters and was reissued under Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-Noderivatives License.