Drivers get the greenlight to unionize, Waymo hires lobbyists and Lyft kills tips. LegalRideshare breaks it down.

NEWSOM SIGNS BILL — CA DRIVERS CAN UNIONIZE

Drivers in CA can soon unionize. TechCrunch reported:

Drivers for ride-hailing apps like Uber and Lyft will soon have the right to unionize in California as independent contractors, thanks to a bill signed Friday by Governor Gavin Newsom.

This is part of a larger deal between lawmakers, unions, and ride-hailing companies, resulting in the passage of separate bills supporting lower insurance requirements for Uber and Lyft, along with union rights for their drivers. When the deal was first announced in August, Newsom described it as a “historic agreement between workers and business that only California could deliver.”

The Associated Press reports that more than 800,000 drivers will gain the right to join a union and collectively bargain for better pay and benefits. Ramona Prieto, Uber's head of public policy for California, told the AP in a statement that the two bills “represent a compromise that lowers costs for riders while creating stronger voices for drivers.”

WAYMO HIRES LOBBYISTS

Waymo hires lobbyists. Axios reported:

Waymo recently hired four lobbyists from a local firm, state disclosures show, signaling that it's gearing up to push for a green light to test — and eventually launch — its autonomous vehicles in Minnesota.

Teicher didn't respond to Axios' question about Waymo's specific policy goals, but said the company is “engaging with regulators and lawmakers across the globe” to explain its technology in hopes of expanding to more markets.

DFL Rep. Erin Koegel, co-chair of the House transportation committee, said she was “more skeptical and a little bit more apprehensive” about autonomous vehicles in previous sessions.

LYFT KILLS TIP FEATURE

Lyft kills the tips feature. News Nation reported:

Lyft has scrapped a test feature that let some drivers see how often passengers tip before accepting a ride.

“While this experiment showed early signs of improving the marketplace and helping riders to get to where they need to go on time, we heard our customers and cancelled the experiment,” a Lyft spokesperson told NewsNation in an email Thursday.

The decision comes after screenshots of the feature drew criticism on social media, with some vowing to stop using the popular rideshare service.

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