“This is a historic day for the state, for the country,” Gov. Maura Healey said, noting that drivers being able to unionize “means better pay, better wages for them, for their families.”Uber and Lyft drivers at a rally inside the Massachusetts State House to call for the formation of a ride-sharing union in 2023.David L. Ryan / Boston Globe via Getty Images fileMay 25, 2026, 1:55 PM EDT / Source: NBC BostonBy Asher Klein, NBC BostonA rideshare driver union says it’s been recognized by Massachusetts, making it the first certified Uber/Lyft driver union in the nation.App Drivers Union said Monday that it will represent nearly 70,000 drivers in the state, which would be the largest group of private-sector workers to have their union recognized since Ford workers joined United Auto Workers in 1941.“It’s one of the biggest organizing union victories in the last century,’ the union’s executive director, Autumn Weintraub, told The Boston Globe.The App Drivers Union received support from 32% of active rideshare drivers, Massachusetts’ Department of Labor Relations found, above the 25% threshold required by state law for certification. Other unions had until Friday afternoon to trigger an election with their own support from at least 25% of the group, as did rideshare drivers who oppose being represented by a union.A celebration of the certification with Gov. Maura Healey is set for Tuesday at the state house.“This is a historic day for the state, for the country,” Healey said Monday, noting that drivers being able to unionize “means better pay, better wages for them, for their families, so it’s a really great thing. We want people in Massachusetts to have the kind of wages that can support their families.”As a recognized union, the App Drivers Union will be able to collectively bargain on behalf of the state’s rideshare drivers for a contract — the organization says no collective bargaining agreement has ever been reached between drivers and rideshare giants like Uber and Lyft.Massachusetts voters approved rideshare drivers’ right to unionize in 2024, with 54% approving the ballot measure. The state’s government is also moving to increase regulation on drivers under a proposal from the Department of Public Utility that would ensure drivers face more rigorous background checks and riders get more ways to verify they’re in the right car.The App Drivers Union is affiliated with the Service Employees International Union and International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers. The presidents of both organizations were scheduled to attend the 10 a.m. rally in Boston.
Rideshare drivers union in Mass. says it’s the 1st to be recognized in the U.S.
“This is a historic day for the state, for the country,” Gov. Maura Healey said, noting that drivers being able to unionize “means better pay, better wages for them, for their families.”
TL;DRAI
Massachusetts has certified App Drivers Union as the first recognized Uber/Lyft driver union in the U.S., representing nearly 70,000 rideshare workers after securing 32% driver support — above the 25% state threshold. For gig-economy platforms and labor-dependent tech companies, this sets a precedent that could accelerate similar organizing efforts nationally and force renegotiation of driver classification models beyond Massachusetts.
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