Washington state announced minimum wage and benefits for ride-hailing drivers

According to the latest reports, Washington State Governor Jay Inslee on Thursday signed a law that stipulates the minimum income standard for Uber and Lyft car-hailing drivers, making Washington the state became the first in the U.S. to set income standards for ride-hailing drivers.

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Under Washington state law, ride-hailing drivers earn a minimum of $1.17 per mile, 34 cents per minute, and $3 per ride. Under the law, drivers also receive paid sick leave, family medical leave, and long-term care programs, and are eligible for workers’ compensation.

Moreover, Workers’ Compensation is a program awarded by the U.S. government to provide benefits to workers who are injured or sick on the job. Ride-hailing drivers can also appeal if they are removed from the relevant app.

A major city in Washington state, Seattle passed its own pay scale for ride-hailing drivers back in September 2020, and drivers there will still be paid a minimum of $1.38 per mile, 59 cents per minute, and $5.17 per ride get paid.

Furthermore, the law has the backing of Uber and Lyft because it strips local regulators of the power to bar Washington state counties and cities from imposing additional requirements on ride-hailing companies.

The law also identifies ride-hailing drivers as not employees, an ongoing point of contention between labor groups and gig economy companies. The workers of gig economy companies are all independent contractors, and they oppose the classification of workers as employees, while labor organizations believe that ride-hailing drivers should enjoy more benefits as employees.

“This new law clearly gives drivers what they want – to maintain their independence while gaining access to historic new benefits and guarantees,” said Ramonna Prtieto, Uber’s head of public policy for the U.S. West, in a statement. said in the statement. She also said Uber hopes the law will be replicated in other regions.

“Drivers won these benefits because labor groups, lawmakers, app developers listened to their demands, and then worked together to push for a historic bill in their favor.” Jen Hensley, Lyft’s head of government relations Say.

The new law in Washington state has the backing of the truckers Union Local 117, the group behind Seattle’s pay scale. Before that, only Seattle and New York City had implemented minimum wage standards for ride-hailing drivers.

(via)