A bill giving workplace protections to 1 million “gig economy” workers moved closer to final passage in the California legislature.
Janitors cleaning downtown office buildings, truckers loading goods at the ports of Los Angeles and Long Beach, construction workers building new homes, manicurists, medical technicians, nightclub strippers and even software coders would be among scores of occupations offered protection against long-documented workplace abuses, the Los Angeles Times reported. It’s expected to pass both houses before the legislature adjourns next Friday (9/13).
Uber, Lyft and DoorDash have threatened to spend $90 million on a ballot measure unless the legislature exempts their workers. The California Labor Federations said it will defeat the measure. CFL represents 2.1 million members.
Will aggressive support for the measure lead to a surge in California union membership? Time will tell. But it should, if the unions vigorously promote “we looked out for the little guy.”