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# In A First For Uber And Lyft Drivers, They Can Now Unionize In Seattle

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<!-- video src="https://cdn.jwplayer.com/manifests/3GmSkorH.m3u8" -->
## Video: In A First For Uber And Lyft Drivers, They Can Now Unionize In Seattle

[Watch (HLS stream): In A First For Uber And Lyft Drivers, They Can Now Unionize In Seattle](https://cdn.jwplayer.com/manifests/3GmSkorH.m3u8) (1:36)

![In A First For Uber And Lyft Drivers, They Can Now Unionize In Seattle](https://cdn.jwplayer.com/v2/media/3GmSkorH/poster.jpg?width=720)

_Published 2015-12-15. The Seattle City Council voted to allow drivers for companies like Uber and Lyft to unionize. This would allow them to negotiate for better wages._


---

Jul 27, 2023 7:20 PM UTC

---

## More From This Series

[All Videos](https://time.com/video/)

[Uber Drivers Get Class-Action Status In Lawsuit](/video/gyKjj780/)

### Uber Drivers Get Class-Action Status In Lawsuit

[Lyft Sues Ex-Exec For Allegedly Taking Secret Docs To Uber](/video/FZ77lsmE/)

### Lyft Sues Ex-Exec For Allegedly Taking Secret Docs To Uber

[Seattle City Council Approves $15 Minimum Wage](/video/ulrGMHUQ/)

### Seattle City Council Approves $15 Minimum Wage

---


## Transcript

The Seattle City Council voted to allow on demand drivers, who work for companies like Lyft and Uber, to unionize, to negotiate for better wages and working conditions. The decision was months in the making. The ordinance requires the app companies Is give this city a list of its Seattle drivers that way the organization that represents the drivers can contact them. If the app company doesn't negotiate with the chosen organization, it could be fined or potentially lose its license to operate. There are multiple lawsuits filed in cities including Seattle against Uber for categorizing drivers as independent contractors instead of employees.

We invested tens of thousands of dollars in this business. We're not just drivers. A, according to Uber, we're partners. But, they treat us a little, a little better than slaves. As app based on demand services grow in popularity, the definition of employee versus contractor blurs. Many have recognized a need to redefine labor laws. A former Chairwoman of the National Labor Relations Board told the Seattle Times we haven't significantly changed our labor laws since 1947 and there's no national consensus on how to change them, so workers and their advocates are turning to local governments to innovate.

People are experimenting and Seattle is a leader. No surprise, executives at companies like Uber and Lyft are wishing those experiments would stop. Uber, now valued at around 62. 5 billion dollars, could take a major hit if it's drivers team up together and push for bigger paychecks. This decision probably came as a surprise to Uber. According to the New York Times earlier this year, Uber's policy executive said the proposed law was generally believed to flatly illegal.

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