California’s recent erosion of gig workers’ rights could turn global

A measure passed in California removes many employment rights for gig workers. Similar rules could soon come near you, writes Annalee Newitz

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18th November 2020

People in the United States were so busy freaking out about the recent presidential election that it was easy to miss a vote in California for an election measure called Proposition 22. The gig giants Uber, Lyft, DoorDash, Instacart and Postmates have sponsored the measure the tune of $ 205 million. Some even turned their apps into propaganda machines and admonished users to vote “Yes to Prop 22”.

The measure was passed and now California has a new class of workers: “independent contractors”. The result is that there is a special exemption for gig work companies from certain labor laws and …