TWO YEARS AGO, Massachusetts braced itself for what was expected to be the most expensive ballot measure campaign in the state’s history. That question, brought by ride-hailing companies to classify their gig workers as independent contractors, was kicked off the ballot by a ruling from the state’s highest court.
In just a few weeks, the state should know if the fight and the ad dollars will be back on the horizon. And this time, there could be ballot measures on both sides.
At the heart of the new dueling ballot measures, years of legislative efforts, and an ongoing lawsuit is a seemingly straightforward question: Are ride-hailing workers, who conduct pick-up and drop-off services through app-based platforms, more akin to ordinary employees under state law or more like independent contractors and therefore not guaranteed the benefits and protections of standard employment law?
This question could be resolved in a few ways, all on long timelines. A ride-share backed coalition and the state’s largest service workers union have submitted propositions for the 2024 ballot, awaiting certification from the attorney general’s office by September 6.
The Massachusetts Coalition for Independent Work – financed by Uber, Lyft, Instacart, and DoorDash – is taking multiple runs at the question, submitting nine versions of the “law establishing that app-based drivers are not employees” measure.
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