Massachusetts Uber and Lyft drivers form first union for Ride-Share workers

Drivers for apps like Uber and Lyft have unionized in Massachusetts and will be represented by an organization that said Monday it is the first officially recognized union in the United States to represent ride-sharing drivers.

In a news release, the App Drivers Union said it will represent the nearly 70,000 workers in Massachusetts who now have collective bargaining power.

The union can now begin contract negotiations with Uber and Lyft. Issues at the negotiating table will most likely include payments, driver safety and deactivation, which is when drivers lose access to the app.

Drivers for ride-sharing companies won the right to unionize in Massachusetts in November 2024 through a statewide ballot initiative. Voters supported the measure 54 percent in favor and 46 percent against. The ballot measure allowed ride-sharing drivers to organize and bargain as a collective, but did not automatically give drivers union representation.

Gov. Maura Healey called the certification a “historic moment” in an emailed statement. “Ride-sharing drivers are key members of our workforce and our communities, and they deserve a real voice in shaping their wages, benefits and working conditions,” the governor said. She planned to celebrate the certification on Tuesday with senior staff at the State House.

Uber said in a statement that it will work closely with unions, drivers and the state government. “Together, we will ensure that driver flexibility and hard-won benefits remain at the heart of our progress, while upholding the highest standards of safety, data security, transparency and public accountability,” the company said in a statement.

In a statement, Lyft said it was “committed to acting in good faith,” adding, “Lyft does well when drivers are successful, and we will continue to focus on helping drivers succeed while making ridesharing affordable and reliable for everyone who relies on it.”

The application drivers union is supported by the Service Employees International Union, local 32BJ and the International Association of Machinists and Aviation Workers.

For the drivers to get to that point, the union had to petition the state Department of Labor Relations to show that at least 5 percent of the drivers had designated the union as their representative.

The union then had to obtain certification from the state in one of two ways: either by a vote where a majority of active drivers said they wanted union representation, or by the union showing that at least 25 percent of active drivers had designated it as their bargaining representative.

On May 15, the Department of Labor Relations he said it was shown by the App Drivers Union that he has been designated as a bargaining agent for at least 32 percent of active ride-sharing drivers, surpassing the 25 percent threshold. This was followed by a seven-day waiting period, ending at 5pm on Friday, before the union could be officially certified.

Similar unionization efforts are underway in other states. California rideshare drivers formally won the right to unionize in January. In IllinoisDrivers rallied at the State Capitol this month in support of a bill that would give them collective bargaining rights.