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Prop 22 Passes: California's App-Based Drivers Remain Contractors

(Illustration by Chava Sanchez/LAist)
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In what was the most expensive ballot measure fight in state history, gig companies led by Uber, Lyft and DoorDash succeeded in persuading voters to strip app-based drivers of employee rights they had won under a new state law.

Prop 22 was the result of fallout from AB5, a controversial state law that redefines which workers are considered independent contractors. Since AB5 went into effect at the start of 2020, judges had ruled that Uber and Lyft must treat their drivers as employees.

California voters approved Prop 22, which classifies drivers and other workers for app-based companies as independent contractors, in addition to enacting several new labor policies specifically for app-based companies.

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