Massachusetts Uber, Lyft drivers certify first statewide ride-hailing union amid automation fears

BOSTON (AP) — Drivers in Massachusetts for ride-hailing apps such as Uber and Lyft became the first in the nation Tuesday to certify a union, marking a milestone in the growing effort to organize gig-economy workers amid ongoing concerns over pay, expenses and working conditions.

The victory could provide a model for similar campaigns gaining traction in states including California and Illinois, where labor organizers are increasingly targeting app-based industries as drivers also grapple with the rapid expansion of self-driving vehicle technology.

Fully driverless commercial rides without a human operator are not currently permitted in Massachusetts.

As drivers waved signs and chanted with the gold dome of the Massachusetts State House providing a backdrop, labor leaders described the victory as the largest private-sector organizing win since Ford autoworkers unionized in 1941.

Jean Fredo, who has driven for Uber for more than seven years, said he hopes the union will bring better pay, stronger protections against sudden deactivations and more stability for drivers.

“With the union, it will not feel like we’re working for nothing,” he said in French through a translator. “Now the money will not only stay in the billionaire’s pockets. The money will actually come to the workers who work very hard.”

Fredo said when he started driving for Uber he appreciated the flexibility and the ability to make his own schedule while still being present for his family. But over time, he said, he found himself working longer hours while earning less as gas and maintenance costs climbed.

Drivers can also lose access to the apps with little warning or recourse, he said.

“I live with stress — always scared to lose my app,” Fredo said. “This is not a way to live.”

Fredo said he immediately joined the organizing effort when he heard about it and later helped sign up hundreds of other drivers at airports and gathering spots around the Boston area.

At one point during the rally, Fredo pumped his fists over his head while showing a photo of his family to the crowd.

“This is my family,” he said. “I’m fighting for a better life for them — just like everyone else is fighting for their families. My dream is to save and send my kids to college, and I believe we will get there.”

A labor fight shadowed by automation fears

Supporters say rising vehicle costs, fluctuating pay and opaque app algorithms have fueled frustration among drivers who often work long hours while paying for gas, insurance, maintenance and vehicle wear-and-tear themselves. Uber and Lyft have argued that drivers value the flexibility of app-based work and have opposed efforts that could reclassify workers or alter the industry’s business model.

The organizing effort has unfolded alongside the rapid expansion of autonomous vehicle technology. In Massachusetts, autonomous vehicles can be tested on public roads, but current regulations still require a licensed human operator inside the vehicle. Fully driverless commercial operations without a human in the car are not permitted statewide.

Waymo has expanded driverless taxi operations in cities including San Francisco, Los Angeles and Phoenix. The rollout has drawn scrutiny over traffic disruptions, safety investigations and incidents involving stalled or malfunctioning vehicles, while also heightening anxiety among some ride-hailing drivers about the future of their jobs.

Julie Blust of the App Drivers Union said drivers across the country regularly communicate with one another about changing conditions in the industry, including the expansion of autonomous vehicles in California.

“We now know what’s happening there,” she said. “Drivers are seeing pay go down, and there are real concerns about safety and job security as automatic vehicles expand.”

Organizers increasingly see unionization as a way for drivers to collectively respond to the growth of autonomous vehicle companies, she said.

“Drivers now have an official organization and can speak with one voice about what’s happening in this industry,” Blust said. “We cannot let billions of dollars leave Massachusetts and go to Silicon Valley. That money feeds people’s families, that money pays the rent. That money goes into small businesses.”