Rideshare Drivers Unionize In First Under Massachusetts Plan (1)

Rideshare app drivers in Massachusetts became the first in the nation to formally unionize after the state passed a ballot initiative giving those workers the right to collectively bargain.

The App Drivers Union said in a statement Tuesday it received official union recognition from the Commonwealth’s Department of Labor Relations. The ADU will represent about 70,000 drivers in Massachusetts, it said.

The recognition marks the first time Uber and Lyft drivers have unionized since the state passed a legal framework in 2024 to allow rideshare workers to join a union, according to the release. Rideshare companies have classified drivers as independent contractors that are ineligible to unionize under the federal National Labor Relations Act.

The union will prioritize pay, safety, and deactivation standards during its contract negotiations with the companies, the ADU said. The ADU is a joint affiliate of the 32BJ Service Employees International Union and the International Association of Machinists.

“For too long, the gig economy was built on a fools’ bargain: the companies got rich and workers scraped by. The rules were rigged,” SEIU President April Verrett said in a statement. “But Massachusetts rideshare drivers flipped the script. They had the audacity and imagination to unrig those rules and win their union.”

A spokesperson for Lyft said the company was “committed to engaging in good faith” with the union.

“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,” the spokesperson said.

A spokesperson for Uber said the company intended to work closely with the union and the state throughout the bargaining process.

“Together, we will ensure that driver flexibility and hard-won benefits remain the foundation of our progress, while upholding the highest standards of safety, data security, transparency, and public accountability,” Katie Franger, public affairs manager at Uber, said in an e-mail.