Uber and Lyft drivers sue to overturn Prop 22

Several Uber and Lyft drivers filed a lawsuit before the US California Supreme Court to overturn the ballot measure Prop 22 that allows platforms to classify drivers as independent contractors instead of employees. In the lawsuit, the drivers allege that Prop 22, which was approved in November 2020, violates the Californian Constitution by completely preventing state legislature from empowering workers to organise unions and excluding drivers from the state workers’ compensation programme. Labor unions such as the California Labor Federation have supported the drivers in the lawsuit.

Uber and Lyft spent more than US$200 million into the ‘Yes on 22’ campaign to exempt ride-hailing companies from hiring their drivers as employees. So far, it is not clear whether drivers will be successful in their attempt to challenge the constitutionality of Prop 22. The measure was enacted in a way to prevent legal challenges, including an article that requires a seven-eighths majority of the California State Legislature for any modification of terms.