Drivers, riders, elected leaders and community activists urge Beacon Hill: Take a stand against Big Tech’s ballot buyout
Actions held in Lynn, New Bedford, Roxbury and Springfield signal growing opposition to Uber and Lyft’s scheme to circumvent Massachusetts law
Massachusetts — Drivers, riders, city leaders, and elected officials came together today in actions across Massachusetts to demonstrate growing opposition to the multi-million dollar ballot question funded by Uber, Lyft, and similar app-based corporations. In just a few short months, hundreds of workers and riders have spoken out about their shocking mistreatment at the hands of these corporate giants, and are fighting to stop the ballot initiative, which would deny workers and consumers the basic rights and protections they are entitled to under Massachusetts law.
The demonstrations in Lynn, New Bedford, Roxbury, and Springfield preceded the legislature’s Joint Financial Services Committee hearing on the ballot initiative, where several drivers, Massachusetts Attorney General Maura Healey, Massachusetts AFL-CIO President Steven A. Tolman and California Labor Federation leader Lorena Gonzalez underscored the devastating effects this potential ballot question would have on workers, their families and taxpayers throughout the Commonwealth.
Uber, Lyft and other app-based corporations spent more than $220 million in 2020 on a campaign to pass Proposition 22 in California, which has since been ruled unconstitutional. Not only did it violate the law, it also slashed wages for drivers and raised prices for riders. Alarmed by the corporate push to bring a copycat law to Massachusetts, worker and consumer advocates have been organizing drivers, riders and concerned citizens across the state.
At Lynn City Hall, community leaders including Nichole Mossalam, candidate for state representative (Medford and Malden), and labor organizers stood with rideshare drivers as they shared their stories.
“This goes way beyond and further than just the independent contractor law,” said Stephen Levine, Boston Independent Drivers Guild board member. “This is about the commonwealth of Massachusetts’ labor and wage laws. Big Tech should never have the right to make their own laws simply because they do not fit their business model.”
Rep. Chris Hendricks addressed the crowd at an action at Buttonwood Park in New Bedford.
“Independent contractors in the gig economy break their back for pennies on the dollar,” said Rep Hendricks. “The fact that we’re out here today to put the pressure on a maneuver like this is so important. You have my wholehearted support.”
“Since day one, Big Tech has been lying, cheating, and stealing from us. Now that they’re nice and comfy with their profits, they want to make sure that we don’t get the recognition and rights we deserve,” said Rahim Abbasi, Boston app-based driver. “Well, I’m here to say enough is enough and we’re not going to take it anymore. We’ve built this coalition to protect all workers in Massachusetts, not just gig workers.”
In Roxbury, drivers and community members were joined by Tanisha Sullivan, NAACP Boston President and candidate for Secretary of State, and Boston City Councilors Kendra Lara and Tania Anderson.
“We demand that Uber and lyft treat their workers right, pay us fairly — no more unfair deactivations, no more racism, no more sexism, no more Islamaphobia,” said Beth Griffith, an Uber driver and Coalition spokesperson. “We are here, we are against these two ballot questions. Who can live on $4.82/hour? … Over the years, we’ve suffered five pay cuts with no due process, and it’s more like we’ve become dependent workers, dependent contractors. We are not having it anymore.”
At Springfield City Hall, Sen. Adam Hinds and Rep. Jake Oliviera spoke out against the ballot question along with Rose Webster-Smith, Executive Director of Springfield No One Leaves. “I think it’s almost criminal, what [these companies] are doing,” said Lyft driver Ruben Nunez Jr. “They’ve got their billions, instead of $28 billion why can’t they be happy with $26 billion and share the crumbs a little bit? We’re getting paid less and they’re still getting their money. That ain’t right. They’re treating us like we’re animals, cattle or something.”
“Our movement is growing quickly, and we are making it clear that Big Tech cannot buy our communities. This ballot question would have devastating, long-term consequences for Massachusetts, and we are fighting to protect drivers, riders, and taxpayers across the state,” said Wes McEnany, Director of Massachusetts is not for sale. “Today’s actions prove that opposition is strong throughout Massachusetts. Voters deserve to know that this ballot question will only benefit the pockets of these billion dollar corporations.”
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About Massachusetts is not for sale:
Twitter: @MassNotForSale | Facebook: @MassNotForSale | MassachusettsIsNotForSale.org
Massachusetts is not for sale is a growing alliance of drivers, delivery workers, consumer advocates, civil rights organizations, immigrant, faith, labor, community organizing, racial and environmental justice groups who oppose the $100M+ campaign by Big Tech companies to undermine our law, as they recently did in California through Proposition 22, to avoid paying taxes and Social Security, shield themselves from liability to the public, and win special exemptions from labor and civil rights laws.