California Advances Bill to Turn Contractors Into Employees (1)

A California bill that would turn thousands of independent contractors into employees advanced Aug. 30 to an uncertain future on the state Senate floor.

The labor-backed bill promises to expand by tens of thousands the number of workers in California legally considered “employees” and therefore eligible for overtime pay, minimum wage, and other benefits.

Gig companies—including Uber Technologies Inc. and Lyft Inc., construction, janitorial, trucking, and tech companies—are intensifying lobbying efforts to defeat or heavily amend Assembly Bill 5 as it now proceeds to the full floor of the state Senate. Uber, Lyft, and DoorDash Inc. promised to bankroll ...