When rideshare drivers in Washington state struck a bargain this year with Uber Technologies Inc. and Lyft Inc., the industry said the deal would be a model for other states.
The drivers got a guaranteed set of benefits, including minimum pay per trip, paid sick leave, and workers’ compensation coverage, in negotiated legislation that Gov. Jay Inslee (D) signed into law in March. But the law also locked in the drivers’ status as independent contractors, denying them the full legal protections that come with employee classification, including federal protections for forming or joining a union.
In the wake of Washington’s compromise, other states aren’t rushing to strike similar deals. Many legislatures have wrapped up for the year, most recently in Massachusetts, stranding various Washington-style gig worker proposals without so much as a committee hearing.
The disagreements are substantial, even among driver groups. The biggest point of contention is whether drivers want employee status or prefer to remain independent contractors, as Uber and Lyft have classified them since first launching their businesses. Depending on whom you ask, bills that offer the right mix of workplace protections and collective bargaining rights might have broad enough support to pass in some states next year, including Connecticut.
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