In the end, ride share companies got their wish.
Uber, Lyft and DoorDash, among others, spent an enormous amount of money on the push for Proposition 22, asking voters to exempt their drivers from a California law that classified gig workers as employees.
In an overwhelming endorsement of the expensive push, voters got behind Prop 22. The companies will not have to provide the benefits that full-time employees get and would get to treat their drivers as independent contractors - the way they were when the companies launched and before AB5 became law.
Several had threatened to leave California if Prop 22 failed.
"If you joined us in voting yes, thank you," Uber said in an email to users late Tuesday. "If you voted no, please know we recognize that we haven’t always gotten it right, particularly in our relationship with drivers. We believe this vote paves the way toward a better, more secure future for drivers and for all app-based workers. And we’ll continue to advocate for drivers everywhere, because we agree that they deserve better."
Uber and Lyft and other gig-economy juggernaut spent over $200 million campaigning for Prop 22. Meanwhile, the unions fighting raised about $20 million.
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