Uber Driver Compromise in Washington Is Tougher Sell Elsewhere

When rideshare drivers in Washington state struck a bargain this year with Uber Technologies Inc. and Lyft Inc., the industry said the deal would be a model for other states.

The drivers got a guaranteed set of benefits, including minimum pay per trip, paid sick leave, and workers’ compensation coverage, in negotiated legislation that Gov. Jay Inslee (D) signed into law in March. But the law also locked in the drivers’ status as independent contractors, denying them the full legal protections that come with employee classification, including federal protections for forming or joining a union.

In the wake of ...