Thursday, January 27, Uber and Lyft drivers with the California Gig Workers Union came together at the SEIU 1021 San Francisco union hall. They joined a call of gig workers all across the nation — including in Illinois, Massachusetts, and Wisconsin — to strategize what’s next for their movement.

In Northern California, Uber and Lyft drivers have been organizing since 2019 to improve their wages and work conditions. They’ve joined national and international protests against unfair deactivations and for a stronger voice on the job. Locally, Uber and Lyft drivers have been meeting with San Francisco Airport to push for improvements at the airport lots, including better access to bathrooms and sanitation.

Notably, during the November 2024 elections, gig workers in Massachusetts successfully passed “Question 3.” Question 3 grants ride share drivers the right to form unions and engage in collective bargaining with Uber and Lyft. 

Hector Castellanos, a California Gig Workers Union leader, told the nationwide movement: “I look forward to a future where gig drivers will have a union, not only here in California, but all across the country.”