SAN DIEGO — San Diego Mayor Kevin Faulconer joined San Jose Mayor Sam Liccardo Wednesday to urge an appeals court to stay an injunction that they said would lead to a statewide shutdown of Uber and Lyft's operations starting this Friday.
The rideshare companies recently lost a court battle regarding Assembly Bill 5, with a judge ruling the companies must classify their drivers as employees rather than independent contractors in order to comply with the law, which went into effect Jan. 1.
San Francisco-based Judge Ethan P. Schulman ruled in favor of California Attorney General Xavier Becerra, and the city attorneys of San Diego, Los Angeles and San Francisco in their lawsuit alleging Uber and Lyft have misclassified their drivers, preventing them from receiving "the compensation and benefits they have earned through the dignity of their labor" such as the right to minimum wage, sick leave, unemployment insurance and workers' compensation benefits.
Meanwhile, in the cell phone lot of the San Diego airport, a few dozen rideshare drivers waited Wednesday for their phones to buzz so they could pick up their next passenger. Many wondering if they’ll have a job at the end of the week.
“This is my full-time job,” said Chris Rio, a driver for Uber and Lyft of three years; “This is how I provide for my family. Just to have it swept away, it’s just really hard.”
Rios, along with any rideshare users got the following messages from Uber and Lyft this week:
The companies say that they may suspend services starting Thursday and the lack of certainty has drivers on edge.
“Everybody is nervous, everybody is looking for answers,” said Rios
Schulman stayed his Aug. 10 ruling for 10 days to allow the companies time to appeal.
Both companies have stated that if their appeals are unsuccessful, they may shut down operations in California as they would not be able to rapidly restructure their operations in order to comply with AB5.
AB5 would force employers to pay benefits and sick time to those they originally treated like independent contractors. In response, rideshare companies have lobbied for their own ballot initiative - Proposition 22 which would define app-based transportation and delivery drivers as independent contractors. It would also have to be approved by voters this November.
“Me personally, I like it,” said Rios “For me, I just want my flexibility. I tell people, 'we’re not children.' We knew what we were getting into when we started doing this.”
As of Wednesday, Uber and Lyft drivers were still picking up passengers. But many are fearing the worst for Thursday
“That’s a big question that a lot of us have,” says Rios “A lot of us are scared, anxious and nervous. We just want to keep our jobs and provide for our families.”
Faulconer and Liccardo's joint statement called for a stay on the injunction, citing economic impacts to California's gig workers, and a loss of transportation options and delivery services for critical resources like food and medical care for California residents.
"This sudden disappearance of jobs and transportation options will only deepen the economic pain felt in our communities during this historic pandemic and recession," the statement read.
The mayors said a stay could allow state leaders and the companies time to craft "a resolution to this complex issue and avoid irreparable harm upon hundreds of thousands of residents whose lives and livelihoods daily depend on these services."
Faulconer and Liccardo also proposed the creation of a portable benefit fund for independent contractors that the companies would be required to pay into.
"Being forced into a situation where shutting down service is the only viable option hurts everyone at a moment when we need to pull together to help more Californians make ends meet," the mayors said. "We call on all parties to turn this political standoff into a foundation for productive conversation about new ways to preserve a valued service and fairly compensate independent workers. California can choose to continue to implement solutions that lead the innovation economy, or to be led by others. The livelihoods of nearly one million residents depends on California choosing to lead."