Uber and Lyft drivers in Massachusetts have officially unionized, a first-in-the-nation
move that now sets up what could be the final stage in a years-long organizing effort.
Rideshare companies have been relatively quiet about the prospect of unionization,
offering no resistance to a 2024 ballot question that allowed drivers to bargain
collectively despite not technically being classified as employees.
Now, they will have to reckon with the specific demands of unionized drivers who are
looking for a larger share of the industry’s earnings.
“As this new process moves forward, we’re committed to engaging in good faith,” Lyft
spokesperson CJ Macklin said in a statement. “Lyft does well when drivers do well, and
we’ll stay focused on helping drivers succeed while keeping rideshare affordable and
dependable for everyone who counts on it.”
For nearly two years, union supporters worked to unify a large and scattered workforce,
ultimately submitting nearly 23,000 signatures in support of unionization — enough to
meet the standards laid out by the voter-passed law.
The newly minted App Drivers Union said Monday it had received state certification to
represent roughly 70,000 rideshare drivers who operate as independent contractors in
Massachusetts. The union can now begin bargaining with rideshare platforms as it seeks
to increase wages and improve job security.
“It’s one of the biggest organizing union victories in the last century,” said Autumn
Weintraub, executive director of the App Drivers Union, which received 25 percent of
support from active drivers across the state, to become their exclusive bargaining
representative, according to the Massachusetts Department of Labor Relations.
Published: May 25, 2026
