The proposition passed with 59 % of the vote. It exempted Uber and Lyft drivers — as well as others who work for other delivery and ride-hail companies – from the state’s controversial employee classification law AB 5. Under that law, which took effect in January 2020, most companies in the state had to switch contractors working for them from freelancers to full-time W-2 employees.
With less than two months left before Election Day, campaigns both defending and opposing Proposition 22 — the ballot initiative that aims to keep gig company drivers classified as independent contractors — are revving up their efforts to reach out to Black voters.
For instance, Amazon fired Black and brown workers who have organized to demand more substantial health and safety protections. Thousands of Instacart workers, many of whom are women of color, are reportedly waiting for face masks and hand sanitizer promised months ago. Three out of every four Black workers who took the survey said they showed up to work during the pandemic even though they believed they might have been seriously risking their health or the health of family members. Less than half of white workers said they had done the same.
