FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: Wednesday, August 12, 2026

Pioneering App Drivers Union Makes History at the Bargaining Table

Quincy, MA—Rideshare drivers with the App Drivers Union began negotiations today with Uber & Lyft for the first-ever union contract for rideshare drivers in the United States. 

“Today means a lot for all Massachusetts drivers. We have been fighting to get to this moment for a long time,” said Altagracia Urena, a rideshare driver and member of the ADU Bargaining Committee. “Now the app companies will finally have to listen to the drivers, and we can move forward in improving our pay and working conditions.”

The historic contract negotiations are part of a series of firsts for Massachusetts rideshare drivers. In May,  MA rideshare drivers won union recognition, making the App Drivers Union the first certified union of Uber and Lyft drivers in the United States. And in November 2024, MA rideshare drivers were the first in the nation to secure their union rights as part of Question 3, a landmark ballot initiative passed overwhelmingly by Bay State voters.

“App Drivers Union drivers have brought Uber and Lyft to the bargaining table, proving that workers have the power to rewrite the rules. Massachusetts rideshare drivers didn’t wait for permission. They organized until they became undeniable and now stand to transform the gig economy,” said April Verrett, President of the Service Employees International Union (SEIU).

“Massachusetts rideshare drivers are making history. For too long, app companies have dictated the terms while the workers who make this industry run have had little say over their pay, hours or working conditions. That changes when workers have a union and a seat at the bargaining table,” said IAM Union International President Brian Bryant.
App Drivers Union rideshare drivers were joined by elected officials, union and community leaders for a kick-off press conference Wednesday prior to the opening bargaining session.

“This moment is personal to me because before I was a state rep, I was a rideshare driver,” said State Rep. Christopher Worrell. “I know what it feels like to sit behind a wheel. A fair contract means drivers can put food on the table. It means we can pay rents and mortgages.  It means we can take care of our children. It means we can spend money in stores, restaurants, and small businesses in our neighborhood.”

“We need the app companies to roll up their sleeves, lean forward, and strike a fair deal with the workers who are making them money,” said State Senator John Keenan. “The need to show drivers that their work is valued and that they deserve a life of dignity and respect.”

“These drivers know better than anyone what it takes to build a safer, more stable rideshare industry. A strong union contract can improve wages and working conditions, reduce turnover and keep experienced drivers on our roads,” said Mike Vartabedian, Assistant Directing Business Representative at IAM District 15 and principal officer of the App Drivers Union. “We expect the companies to come to the table in good faith and negotiate the fair first contract these drivers have earned.”

“Today, we walk into those negotiations as people whose voices finally matter. This contract isn’t just a piece of paper—it’s dignity, and it’s long overdue,” said Abdizaziz Abdiaziz Samanter, an Uber driver who drove a taxi for 11 years prior to driving for the app companies for more than a decade. 

 

“The drivers in this room built the rideshare industry. And today they are sitting face-to-face at the bargaining table, said Autumn Weintraub, executive director of the App Drivers Union. “We are going to negotiate a fair contract for rideshare drivers that will improve the lives of 70,000 drivers. It’s time to restore balance to an industry that has forgotten whose labor built it.”

Contract negotiations for rideshare drivers in MA are being closely watched by the gig industry and by millions of rideshare drivers and gig workers who expect Massachusetts drivers may set industry standards in the groundbreaking negotiations. MA drivers are leading the nation, with hundreds of thousands of drivers not far behind. This week, 800,000 California drivers won union recognition. And in Illinois, 100,000 drivers finally won their union rights when Governor Pritzker signed the Transportation Network Driver Labor Relations Act into law. 

 
Rideshare drivers in the Commonwealth have been organizing for their union for years, speaking out for better pay, a fair process for deactivations, transparency around algorithms, safer working conditions, dignity on the job, and keeping human drivers behind the wheel. 

“This union and these negotiations are remarkable examples of working people meeting the challenges of today and building a better future for the workers of tomorrow, said Kevin Brousseau, Secretary-Treasurer of MA State AFL-CIO. “The Massachusetts AFL-CIO and our half a million members are standing with you as you head to the bargaining table.”

The App Drivers Union is the first certified union for rideshare drivers in the United States. 

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Published: Aug 13, 2026