May 5, 2020
Contact: Steve Smith 510-326-4644
ssmith@calaborfed.org

Statement by California Labor Federation Executive Secretary-Treasurer Art Pulaski

When giant corporations like Uber and Lyft refuse to follow the law, we all pay the price. We commend Attorney General Becerra and the city attorneys in San Francisco, San Diego and Los Angeles for taking aggressive action today to hold these companies accountable for cheating drivers out of basic protections all workers deserve.

This action comes not a moment too soon as the COVID-19 crisis hits drivers hard and exposes the devastating consequences of  Uber and Lyft continuing to violate the law. Not only do the law-breaking actions of these multi-billion dollar companies hurt their own workers, they shift the burden onto taxpayers and put responsible businesses at a competitive disadvantage. When Uber and Lyft refuse to pay their fair share for unemployment insurance and other programs that are a lifeline to out-of-work drivers, taxpayers foot the bill while the bank accounts of the companies’ millionaire executives swell.  

Today’s announcement makes crystal clear that no corporation, no matter how wealthy, is above the law in California. We join the Attorney General in calling on Uber and Lyft to immediately follow the law, stop cheating drivers and taxpayers or face the serious legal consequences of refusing to do so. 

###