App-Based Drivers Coalition

App-Based Drivers Coalition
Name	App-Based Drivers Coalition
Formation	2019
Type	Advocacy group
Headquarters	San Francisco, California
Region served	United States
Membership	App-based drivers
Leader title	Executive Director
Leader name	(various)

App-Based Drivers Coalition is a coalition of ride-hailing and delivery drivers formed to advocate for labor rights, benefits, and regulatory reforms for independent contractors working through digital platforms. The coalition engages with policymakers, labor unions, advocacy organizations, and the media to influence legislation, ballot initiatives, and corporate practices affecting drivers for major platforms. Its activities intersect with high-profile debates involving municipal governments, state legislatures, federal agencies, and public interest groups.

History

The coalition emerged amid high-profile disputes involving companies such as Uber, Lyft, DoorDash, Grubhub, and Postmates after landmark events like the passage of Assembly Bill 5 in California and subsequent legal challenges such as Dynamex Operations West, Inc. v. Superior Court of Los Angeles County. Early organizing drew on tactics and networks associated with groups like Teamsters, Service Employees International Union, and community organizations in cities like San Francisco, Los Angeles, New York City, and Chicago. The group formed as part of broader movements including campaigns around Proposition 22 and litigation tied to the National Labor Relations Board and the California Supreme Court. Influences included academic research from institutions like Harvard University, University of California, Berkeley, and Columbia University, as well as precedents set by labor actions during the COVID-19 pandemic and regulatory responses from the California Public Utilities Commission and the Federal Trade Commission.

Organization and Structure

The coalition is organized as a networked alliance rather than a single centralized union, with regional chapters in metropolitan areas such as San Francisco Bay Area, Los Angeles County, Cook County, and New York State. Leadership often comprises former organizers from Fight for $15, former staffers from political campaigns tied to figures like Gavin Newsom and Andrew Yang, and legal advisers with experience at firms that have litigated before the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals and the Supreme Court of the United States. The structure includes working groups focused on policy, legal strategy, communications, and research, and partners with advocacy organizations such as Atlantic Philanthropies-backed initiatives and foundations similar to Open Society Foundations and Ford Foundation for capacity-building. Coordination frequently involves coalitions with municipal advocacy groups like Coalition for San Francisco Neighborhoods and national entities such as National Employment Law Project.

Goals and Advocacy

Primary goals include securing portable benefits modeled on programs advocated by think tanks like Brookings Institution and Urban Institute, achieving minimum pay standards related to analyses from Economic Policy Institute, and protecting classification frameworks that align with precedents like Dynamex rather than the employer model promoted by corporate-backed campaigns. The coalition pushes for policy instruments comparable to proposals debated in the United States Congress and state legislatures, advocating for measures before bodies such as the California State Legislature and city councils in Seattle and Austin. It lobbies regulatory agencies including the Department of Labor and the National Labor Relations Board to influence rulemaking and enforcement. The group also seeks transparency from platforms regulated under statutes similar to the California Consumer Privacy Act and municipal ordinances like those enacted in New York City and San Francisco.

Campaigns and Actions

Campaign tactics have included statewide ballot initiatives comparable to Proposition 22, coordinated strikes and app log-off events in cities such as Los Angeles and Chicago, and legal challenges filed in courts including the United States District Court for the Northern District of California. The coalition has run public awareness campaigns leveraging media outlets like The New York Times, The Washington Post, The Guardian, Vox, and Bloomberg to publicize driver conditions, and has organized demonstrations in front of company headquarters and regulatory agencies. It has engaged in strategic litigation with support from legal clinics at Stanford Law School and University of California, Berkeley School of Law, and has participated in collective bargaining discussions with municipal governments that referenced frameworks used in collective bargaining cases before the National Labor Relations Board.

Funding and Partnerships

Funding sources include membership dues, small-donor contributions via platforms similar to ActBlue and WinRed (depending on political alignment), and grants or in-kind support from philanthropic organizations like Open Society Foundations, Ford Foundation, and labor-oriented funds associated with AFL–CIO affiliates. The coalition has partnered with labor unions such as Teamsters, Service Employees International Union, and International Brotherhood of Teamsters for joint campaigns, and has worked with advocacy groups like National Employment Law Project, Jobs With Justice, and research centers at Harvard Kennedy School and University of California, Berkeley for policy development. It has occasionally received support from civic tech organizations and academic research grants from institutions including MIT and Columbia University.

Criticism and Controversies

Critics from corporate-backed groups tied to platforms such as Uber and Lyft have accused the coalition of opposing innovation promoted by executives like Travis Kalanick and Dara Khosrowshahi, and of pursuing policies that would increase operational costs cited in statements by companies and business associations like Chamber of Commerce. Some labor advocates have criticized coalition tactics and alliances, comparing approaches to campaigns by Teamsters and Service Employees International Union, and debating the efficacy of ballot measures like Proposition 22 versus legislative strategies exemplified by Assembly Bill 5. Legal controversies have involved litigation over ballot language, claims before the Federal Trade Commission regarding platform practices, and disputes adjudicated in courts including the California Supreme Court and federal appellate courts. Observers from academic institutions such as Harvard University and University of Chicago have published competing analyses about the coalition's economic impact and policy proposals, contributing to ongoing public debate.

Category:Labor organizations in the United States