Lyft and Uber have opposed the legislation, threatening to reduce operations or leave the state if it is enacted.
Kellen Browning writes about Uber, Lyft and the gig economy.
May 21, 2023
The Minnesota Senate passed a bill on Sunday that would guarantee drivers for Uber and Lyft a minimum wage and other benefits, sending the measure to Gov. Tim Walz.
The narrow passage, a 35-32 vote after an earlier 69 to 61 approval from the state’s House of Representatives, capped a dramatic week of political maneuvering so the bill would clear the legislature before the session ends on Monday. Drivers for Uber and Lyft are known as gig workers because they are treated as independent contractors, meaning they are responsible for their own expenses and are not guaranteed a minimum wage, health care or other benefits.
If the legislation is signed by the governor, it will require Uber and Lyft to pay their drivers at least $1.45 per mile they drive a passenger — or $1.34 per mile outside the Minneapolis-St. Paul region — as well as $0.34 per minute. It also establishes an appeals process through which drivers can request a review if they feel they have been improperly deactivated from the platforms, and requires additional transparency around how drivers’ earnings are calculated.
Mr. Walz has called the bill “an important piece of legislation,” but has also said that more conversations need to happen before he commits to signing it.
The bill is a rare win for labor advocates in what has...
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