On Monday, December 14, 2015, the Seattle City Council will vote on a groundbreaking proposal to provide and recognize app-based drivers’ collective bargaining rights. We need to stand with our city’s drivers! ALL workers deserve collective bargaining. Please read this letter from the Martin Luther King, Jr. County Labor Council (MLKCLC) below, then join Seattle drivers to demand their right to collectively bargain at Seattle City Hall on Monday, December 14, 2:00 pm.
We need everyone who can to come to Seattle City Hall on Monday. City Council will be taking testimony and voting on a ground-breaking proposal that would provide collective bargaining rights for drivers-for-hire: those working for Uber and Lyft, taxi drivers and others. This is an opportunity for Seattle to once again play a leading national role in promoting workers’ rights.
As you probably know, these drivers are portrayed as “independent contractors,” with none of the rights that other workers have: no minimum wage, no overtime, no unemployment benefits, no workers’ comp, no benefits. Part of that is, of course, no right to collective bargaining. Some of the drivers literally earn less than $3.00 an hour.
Working with Teamsters Local 117 and the drivers, Seattle City Councilmember Mike O’Brien has introduced a proposal to provide the drivers with a path to collective bargaining.
Please join us if you can this Monday, December 14th at 2:00 pm at Seattle City Hall, 600 4th Avenue (between James and Cherry) to support the drivers. We need to send a clear message to City Council: all workers deserve the basic rights to organize and to bargain collectively. If you want to testify on the proposal, please be sure to show up early to sign up – it would be a good idea to be there by 1:00.
Can’t come to the meeting in person? Email the Councilmembers and urge them to support collective bargaining rights for the drivers: send a message to all of the Councilmembers at council@seattle.gov.
In solidarity,
MLKCLC Mobilization Committee