Gig Companies Are Making Their Workers Promote Prop. 22
Even as gig companies spend a record amount of advertising money on Proposition 22, theyre making their gig workers help them market the ballot initiative.
Proposition 22 would create a carve out from California labor law to allow a handful of gig companies to continue classifying their workers as contractors, making them ineligible for employee protections and benefits like unemployment insurance and workers compensation. Lyft, Uber, Instacart, DoorDash and Postmates have spent almost $200 million on the pro-Proposition 22 campaign. Where does the money go? Ads, obviously, and political consultants but it's also going to in-app messages, flyers and takeout packaging.
If youve taken a ride with Uber or Lyft recently, youve probably seen a pro-Proposition 22 ad in the app. That marketing is also directed at drivers.
Last month at work, Hector Castellanos started seeing it while he was driving for Uber. Under a dialog box emblazoned with Prop 22 is progress, Castellanos had to click either "Yes on Prop 22" or "Okay." At the same time, his riders were getting pop ups that said their drivers support Proposition 22 and that they should talk with them about it.
Read more: https://www.kqed.org/news/11842964/gig-companies-are-making-their-workers-promote-prop-22