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Senate approves bill allowing ride‑hail drivers to organize without changing contractor status
Summary
After often emotional floor debate, the California Senate voted 29–10 to pass AB 13 40, which gives transportation‑network company drivers a path to collective bargaining while leaving their independent‑contractor classification unchanged.
The California State Senate on Monday passed Assembly Bill 13 40 after an extended floor debate, approving a measure that creates a process allowing ride‑hail and other gig drivers to form and vote for a union while maintaining their status as independent contractors. Senator María Cortez (presenting the bill) said the measure creates “a pathway for transportation network company drivers to come together without fear of retaliation to form a union and bargain collectively.”
The bill’s principal provision does not reclassify drivers as employees but instead establishes a framework for worker organization and recognition after a certified vote. Cortez told colleagues the bill would extend collective bargaining rights “to 800,000 workers in California” and argued it would raise driver incomes and access to benefits while reducing reliance on public safety‑net…
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