California’s suit against Uber and Lyft says the companies have illegally treated drivers as independent contractors, depriving them of benefits.
The lawsuit, brought by state Atty. Gen. Xavier Becerra and the city attorneys of Los Angeles, San Diego and San Francisco, seeks restitution for unpaid wages it says are owed to drivers, and it requests that the court force the companies to immediately classify their drivers as employees.
Filed in the Superior Court of San Francisco, the suit argues that Uber and Lyft gave themselves an unfair market advantage by dodging expenses including drivers’ wages and local and state payroll taxes. The law enables plaintiffs to seek up to $2,500 in civil penalties per violation for drivers going back four years.
Breaking: California sues Uber and Lyft, alleging the companies have illegally treated their drivers as independent contractors https://t.co/1bsAJOAg3j
— Los Angeles Times (@latimes) May 5, 2020
Breaking: California sues Uber and Lyft for misclassifying workers, the first enforcement action under AB 5. The state is seeking civil damages and back wages for drivers. https://t.co/gASiVP2h4s
— kate conger (@kateconger) May 5, 2020