“If our efforts here are not successful, it would force us to stop operations in California,” Zimmerman said. “Fortunately, voters in California can make their voices heard by voting yes to Prop 22 in November.”
Proposition 22 is a voting initiative that allows voters to decide whether gig workers should be classified as employees or independent contractors. In the call for profit, Zimmerman said the majority of drivers want to remain self-employed. If Lyft is forced to classify drivers as employees, he said, then 80 to 90 percent of California drivers and entire regions of the state would lose access to Lyft and Uber.
Of course, classifying drivers as employees would mean that companies with gig economies would have to provide benefits such as minimum wage, overtime, paid breaks and compensation for, say, personal red miles. So while Lyft and Uber spit on how independent contractors have more flexibility, there is also a financial incentive for these companies not to hire drivers as employees.
