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New: Massachusetts becomes the second state to sue Uber and Lyft, arguing that drivers are employees under state law, not independent contractors. https://www.nytimes.com/2020/07/14/technology/massachusetts-sues-uber-lyft.html
California, which has a similar labor law on the books, sued Uber and Lyft in May. https://www.nytimes.com/2020/05/05/technology/california-uber-lyft-lawsuit.html
Both states cite the pandemic as one of the reasons they took action now. The coronavirus shows that drivers don’t have a social safety net: no paid sick leave, no traditional access to unemployment, etc. I wrote about this gap in March. https://www.nytimes.com/2020/03/18/technology/gig-economy-pandemic.html
In CA, Uber and Lyft sponsored Prop 22 to overturn the state’s new labor law. It seems like the new challenge in Massachusetts was not expected. Company responses:
