Drivers Rally Statewide to Protest Broken Prop 22 Healthcare Promises
On May 25, rideshare and delivery drivers with Mobile Workers Alliance and We Drive Progress took to the streets in San Francisco and Los Angeles as part of a statewide day of action calling out
wealthy gig companies like Uber, DoorDash, Instacart, and others for their failure to follow through on the promises of Prop 22.
This action comes on the heels of a recently-released statewide survey revealing that few current gig workers are actually eligible for the healthcare stipend promised by Prop 22. Of those surveyed, 86% find themselves ineligible for the healthcare stipend and 29% report having no health insurance at all.
Platforms such as Uber, Lyft, and Instacart have created barriers to accessing the healthcare stipend — barriers that are not mandated by Prop 22, the ballot measure gig companies spent a record-breaking $220 million to
pass last year. This has left tens of thousands of uninsured or working-poor drivers without the promised and heavily-publicized healthcare stipend that Californians voted for last November.
In order to amplify their voices, on May 25, gig workers moved from speaking out to turning out in the streets of San Francisco and Los Angeles.
In San Francisco, gig workers rallied outside of Uber’s expensive new Mission Bay HQ. Drivers detailed how they’ve suffered assaults and car accidents while working, and incurred medical costs, while receiving little to no support from the gig companies they work for.
In Los Angeles, gig workers caravanned and rallied outside of Uber’s new hub in Historic Filipinotown. Drivers detailed the challenges they’ve faced in attempting to receive the promised Prop 22 healthcare stipend, with examples of the exorbitant medical bills they’ve accrued due to the lack of support from their employers.
Drivers in both cities called on gig companies to honor the promises of the Prop 22 campaign and automatically disburse health insurance stipends to all drivers who meet the minimum requirements for engaged time working.
