Drivers working for ride-hailing apps such as Uber and Lyft in Seattle will now be able to form unions, according to ABC News.
The Seattle city council voted unanimously, 8-0, on Monday morning to allow drivers to unionize over pay and working conditions, but Mayor Ed Murray said that he doesn't plan to sign the bill, according to USA Today.
Murray stated that he supported the rights of workers to organize but that he was concerned about the unclear administrative costs of the bill and the potential burden and price of defending it in court, according to MSN News.
The vote to allow unionization is a win for the App-Based Drivers Association (ABDA), an organization made up of on-demand contract workers that lobbied with other groups to push for legalization, according to The New York Times.
The decision could have an effect on similar struggles around the country, with California union organizers and lobbyists saying that the Seattle vote could influence the outcome of their own campaigns, according to The New York Times.
City council member Nick Licata referred to the vote as "history-setting in what we're attempting to do here in terms of advancing the rights of drivers," according to The New York Times. For Uber and Lyft, the bill is the latest defeat in one of many battles regarding employment issues.
Both companies currently face class-action lawsuits in California, with Uber arguing against its drivers being recognized as full-time employees on the basis that its service affords plenty of flexibility with drivers who choose to work for them, according to USA Today.
The legislation will likely be challenged in court, given its strong opposition. Those fighting it argue that federal labor law prevents state-regulated collective bargaining for independent contractors and the possibility of the ordinance violating federal antitrust laws, according to MSN News.
