#NoOnProp22
What is Prop 22?
Proposition 22 is a referendum that will be on the November 3rd General Election ballot in California. If it passes, Prop 22 would grant Uber and Lyft exemptions from state laws that require them to provide drivers with fair wages, healthcare, sick leave, and other basic labor protections.
Who wrote the inititative, and who is funding the campaign to get people to vote for it? Lyft, Uber, DoorDash have - and they are spending more than $110 MILLION to try to get California voters to support it.
That’s why we are urging all Californians to VOTE NO on Prop 22 and stand in solidarity with drivers, hold these giant gig companies accountable, and help us get the protections we deserve.
Why should you VOTE NO on Prop 22?
UC Berkeley Labor Center Study : https://laborcenter.berkeley.edu/the-uber-lyft-ballot-initiative-guarantees-only-5-64-an-hour-2/
Flexibility
Uber and Lyft insist that drivers value flexibility above all else to justify denying us wages, healthcare, and labor rights. But as we have seen during the pandemic, and even before that, a system that keeps lowering our pay, denying us sick leave, and treating us as replaceable does not give us flexibility.
A NO vote on Prop 22 would still allow drivers to work on a temporary, part-time, seasonal, unscheduled, or full-time basis. There is nothing in the current law that prevents Uber and Lyft from letting employees have flexibility in addition to basic labor rights and protections.
Fair Wages
A study from UC-Berkeley shows that Prop 22, a ballot initiative funded by Uber and Lyft to grant them an exemption from AB 5, would guarantee drivers just $5.64 per hour. Prop 22 will allow Uber and Lyft to continue stealing billions in wages from drivers. So far, RDU has helped more than 5,000 drivers file $1.3 billion+ in wage claims. And that’s just the tip of the iceberg.
A NO vote on Prop 22 would force Uber and Lyft to provide drivers with a base hourly minimum, overtime pay, and compensation for expenses, damages, and more.
Healthcare
The COVID-19 pandemic has shown just how critical healthcare coverage is for rideshare drivers. Over the past year, the vast majority of drivers have been put out of work with very little in the way of a safety net. Those who have continued to drive have been forced to risk their health and that of their families in order to make a living. That is a choice that no worker should be forced to make. To make matters worse, Uber and Lyft have been extremely slow to provide drivers with protective equipment during the pandemic, including facemasks, sanitizer, disinfectant, and barriers between drivers and passengers.
A NO vote on Prop 22 would give drivers paid sick leave and give drivers the flexibility of not being forced to work during a global pandemic in order to put food on the table.
NELP & Partnership for Working Families Study: "Rigging the Gig" : https://www.nelp.org/publication/rigging-the-gig/
Holding Gig Companies Accountable
Gig companies have spent a combined $110 million+ on Prop 22. To put that in context, that money could fund almost 1 million paid sick days for drivers. Uber and Lyft should not be allowed to spend a fortune to rewrite the law for their benefit at the expense of drivers. In fact, Uber and Lyft have been breaking the law for nearly a year by denying drivers their rights - and lawsuits have been filed against them by the Attorney Generals of California, San Diego, San Francisco, and Los Angeles, along with the California Labor Commissioner.
A NO vote on Prop 22 would hold these companies accountable and prevent them from breaking the law when it suits their bottom line.
Racial Justice
70% of rideshare drivers in the US are people of color. In the wake of George Floyd’s murder and nationwide racial justice protests, both Uber and Lyft made a point of stating they believe Black Lives Matter. Yet at the same time, they continue to do everything they can, including breaking the law, to deny their workforce the wages, benefits, and protections they deserve.
A NO vote on Prop 22 would force Uber and Lyft to put their money where their mouth is by providing their 70% people of color workforce with the economic support they need.
Studies, Articles, and Websites about Prop 22:
https://www.nelp.org/publication/rigging-the-gig/
https://calaborfed.org/no-on-prop-22-faq/
https://sickofgiggreed.com/
Graphics for use on Social Media:
#NoOnProp22
