On Anniversary of Prop 22’s Passage, Gig Workers Descend on Uber Hub in Los Angeles and Demand Fair Pay, Adequate Worker Protections
A caravan of LA-area rideshare drivers with Mobile Workers Alliance descended on Uber’s Greenlight Hub in Central LA on Wednesday, November 3, and demanded that the tech giant grant gig workers across the world fair pay and basic worker rights and protections. The demonstration, held on the anniversary of Proposition 22’s passage, was part of a series of protests held by workers in 7 countries in response to the attempt by gig companies like Uber to push Prop 22-style legislation around the world.
Prop 22, which a California court recently ruled unconstitutional, denies app-based rideshare and delivery drivers the rights and protections afforded to California employees, including a minimum wage, paid sick leave, overtime pay, unemployment insurance, access to workers’ compensation, and the right to join together in a union. In 2020, tech giants like Uber, Lyft, and DoorDash spent more than $220 million on a misleading ad campaign pushing the California ballot initiative — and the companies have since tried to spread similar laws in the U.S. and to other countries.
On Wednesday, the LA-area gig workers drove to Uber’s Greenlight Hub on Beverly Boulevard after convening in MacArthur Park. There, drivers rallied and spoke out about the false promises of tech giants’ Prop 22 campaign.
Drivers also called on the companies to drop their legal appeal of the court ruling declaring Prop 22 unconstitutional and to properly classify drivers as employees and not “independent contractors.”
On November 3, gig worker actions were also held in Argentina, Belgium, Colombia, Mexico, Paraguay, and Spain. And, as part of California protests Wednesday, gig drivers with We Drive Progress and Gig Workers Rising rallied at DoorDash’s headquarters in San Francisco.
“The gig economy is a global economy,” said Neide Tameirão, who has worked for gig companies like Uber and Lyft for many years, at the LA rally. “Companies like Uber, Lyft, and DoorDash are using the predatory business model they developed to exploit workers here and in other countries. In order to defeat these companies, our fight must also be global.”