Drivers Hold 'No On 22' Rally Outside Los Angeles City Hall
LOS ANGELES (CBSLA) — A large group of drivers took to the streets outside Los Angeles City Hall Thursday to urge people to vote no on Proposition 22.
If approved by voters, the measure would define app-based drivers and other gig-economy workers as independent contractors.
Companies including Uber and Lyft launched a $185 million ad blitz in favor of the proposition, but opponents say it would allow those companies to skip out on paying workers overtime, minimum wage and other benefits.
"The reality is there's no way we can match the money, but we do have the people power," Felipe Caceres, organizer with the Mobile Workers Alliance, said. "Drivers are coming together to demand their rights, and that's what we have: we have drivers with their authentic voice, not paid spokespeople, who have actually driven for Uber and Lyft who know that their employee status is important and that they deserve paid sick leave."
The "Yes on 22" campaign says an independent survey shows 80% of app-based drivers work only part-time and rely on flexible work to supplement income and provide for their families.