After winning the nation’s highest pay and labor protections for drivers in Seattle, Drivers Union led the campaign to expand pay raises, benefits, and deactivation protections statewide.  

Thousands of drivers took action in our Expand Fairness Campaign, and together we won the highest statewide labor standards for Uber and Lyft drivers anywhere in the country. 

What does the Expand Fairness law (HB 2076) mean for me?

If you’re an Uber or Lyft driver in Washington, the passage of HB 2076 means that you’ll soon be entitled to a pay raise, the permanent right to paid sick leave, workers’ compensation benefits, and protection against unfair deactivation.

How much is the pay raise? 

Beginning on January 1, 2023, rates for Seattle drivers will increase to 64¢/minute and $1.50/mile with a trip minimum of $5.62. Rates for the rest of Washington will increase to 37¢/minute and $1.27/mile, with a trip minimum of $3.26. The new raise means that:

• Pay for King, Snohomish & Whatcom County drivers will increase 97% per minute and 14% mile
• Pay for Spokane drivers will increase 147% per minute and 29% mile
• Pay for Vancouver drivers will increase 54% per minute and 80% mile
• Pay for Tacoma drivers will increase 279% per minute and 53% mile

When do pay raises go into effect? 

December 31, 2022

What about inflation? 

The pay raises will increase annually to adjust for the cost of living. By organizing together with Drivers Union, drivers in Washington State are the only drivers in the country that have won annual statewide cost of living pay raises applied both to time and mileage expenses.  

How can deactivation protections work for me?

Under the new law, deactivation protections expand statewide. Drivers won statewide just cause protections that guard against being deactivated without a good reason. Unfair deactivations can result from false passenger complaints, not-at-fault accidents, unfair vehicle age requirements, or other causes. The new statewide deactivation protections go into effect after negotiations with Uber and Lyft over the appeals process. Drivers Union provides free representation to drivers who have faced unfair deactivation.  

Can I appeal my deactivation now? 

Full statewide deactivation rights become effective after establishing rules for the appeals process. But, you may be able to challenge your deactivation under Seattle's Deactivation Rights Ordinance now. Contact Drivers Union to consult with a Union Representative. 

How will drivers benefit from paid sick days?

The pandemic made it clear that drivers need protection if we get sick and need to take a day off to go to the doctor or take care of a sick child. That’s why we’re proud that Drivers Union won the nation’s first paid sick days benefits for drivers in Seattle during the pandemic. But, Seattle’s temporary paid sick days benefits are scheduled to expire after the pandemic. Under HB 2076, drivers win permanent paid sick days statewide beginning in January. 

What protections will I receive through workers’ compensation?

Beginning next January, drivers will be entitled to full workers’ compensation benefits during the time they have a passenger in their vehicle or are en route to pick up a passenger. These benefits cover medical costs and lost pay in the case of accidents, but also provide coverage when drivers incur other injuries, such as driving related back problems.

Are there other benefits?

Yes. With the support of Drivers Union, thousands of drivers received access to full unemployment benefits during the pandemic.  HB 2076 establishes a task force to ensure drivers have permanent access to unemployment benefits and paid family medical leave with Uber and Lyft paying their fair share. 

What if I’m based in Seattle? Does this new law benefit me?

Absolutely. The law protects Seattle’s highest-in-the-nation pay rates, and Seattle-based drivers will also get a significant raise for trips that originate outside of the city. The law also makes paid sick leave - a temporary provision during the pandemic - permanent, and provides workers’ compensation benefits to all Washington drivers. In addition, pay raises in Tacoma and other surrounding areas will allow more drivers to afford to work where they live, helping ease the oversaturation of drivers in Seattle.

How do these gains compare to the rest of the country?

While drivers in Washington state have won pay raises and expanded protections, drivers in many other states are seeing more and more pay cuts.  

• In California, after spending more than $200 million on Proposition 22, Uber cut driver pay at LAX to $0.32/mile.  
• In Massachusetts, Lyft proposed a ballot initiative to lower pay to as little as $0.26/mile. 
• In February 2022, Uber rolled out a new secretive pay algorithm completely removing guaranteed per-mile and per-minute pay rates and replacing them with a black box algorithm to cut driver pay. 

Instead of more pay cuts, Drivers in Washington have won the highest statewide pay and labor protections in the country. 

How did drivers win higher pay and new protections?

Thousands of drivers organized together with Drivers Union to fight to expand driver rights statewide. Together, we have won the highest pay and protections in the nation.  

Can we fight for more?

Yes! The struggle for drivers rights continues, and every victory makes us stronger. If you believe in our mission to fight to expand driver rights, become a member of Drivers Union today to build driver power.