Washington’s Senate unanimously passed a bill this week that would make the state the first in the nation to grant ride-hail drivers the right to paid family and medical leave.
The bill, HB 1570, builds on driver rights won in 2022’s Expand Fairness Act, which set a high statewide wage floor for drivers and established a right to protections against unjustified deactivation, worker’s compensation insurance and paid sick time.
The win in Washington comes a month after drivers in California were dealt a blow when the state upheld Proposition 22, the ballot measure passed in November 2020 that classified Uber and Lyft drivers as independent contractors rather than employees. A lower court had previously ruled Prop 22 unconstitutional.
Washington’s ruling could have ripple effects in other states fighting to grant gig workers employment benefits.
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