Gig Worker Law Ripples Across California as Court Fights Pile Up

Labor groups in California have scored early victories before the state’s hotly contested new worker classification law takes effect Jan. 1, but the real fight may lie ahead as court cases pile up and a multimillion-dollar ballot initiative looms.

The law, A.B. 5, will make it harder for businesses to classify workers as independent contractors instead of employees. It could upend the business models of gig-economy companies and others that depend on armies of independent contractors, who aren’t guaranteed employment protections like minimum wages and overtime. It also could serve as a blueprint for similar legislation being considered in states ...