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California's Proposition 22 Passes, Allowing Some Gig Economy Workers To Be Contractors

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Californians voted to give certain corporations a pass on state labor laws last night.

Under Prop 22, gig companies like Uber, Lyft, and DoorDash will continue to classify their drivers as independent contractors. That exempts them from AB 5, a state law that says they should consider their workers employees... and offer them basic labor protections and benefits. drivers do get some benefits under Prop 22, but they’re pretty limited. And the measure also blocks drivers’ ability to unionize.

Prop 22 was the most expensive ballot measure in California state history! Uber, Lyft and other donors spent more than 200 million dollars to get it passed. Gig companies also pressured their drivers to promote Prop 22, creating a backlash among some of their workers.

Now that it’s passed, Prop 22 will be hard to undo. The measure also states that it can only be amended with a 7/8ths “super-duper” majority in the California State Legislature.

Teresa Cotsirilos was a reporter at KALW covering labor rights and public health in the Bay Area’s immigrant communities.