Your rights as a Rideshare Driver in Massachusetts
As a rideshare driver, you have the right to organize and bargain collectively through representatives of your choosing and to engage in concerted activities, for purposes of collective bargaining or other mutual aid or protection free from interference, restraint, or coercion by rideshare companies, and also the right to refrain from any of these activities.
It is illegal for any company that you drive for or a union to interfere with your right to join (or not to join) a union.
If your rights have been violated, you can file an unfair work practice charge against any company that you drive for or your union. Charges must be filed with the Massachusetts Department of Labor Relations within 6 months of the violation.
Frequently asked questions
What is a union?
A union is an organization that represents workers for purposes of negotiating bargaining unit members’ working conditions, such as wages and hours, through a process known as “collective bargaining.”
Why did I get two notices about a rideshare drivers’ union and what do they mean?
In November of 2024, Massachusetts voters voted to enact a law (“Chapter 150F”) that granted rideshare drivers who drive in the state of Massachusetts the right to organize and belong to a union that represents rideshare drivers. The notices that you recently received inform you that: 1) rideshare drivers in Massachusetts have the right to form or join a union; and 2) a union called the App Drivers Union (“ADU”) has filed a petition with the Department of Labor Relations (“Department”) seeking to represent Massachusetts rideshare drivers for purposes of collective bargaining.
What is the Department of Labor Relations?
The Department of Labor Relations is a neutral state government agency that implements and enforces Massachusetts collective bargaining laws. The Department does not represent individual rideshare drivers, any rideshare union, or any rideshare company. The Department is only authorized to implement, administer, and enforce the state’s collective bargaining laws. The Department therefore cannot and will not provide any rideshare drivers with guidance, recommendations, or legal advice about forming or joining a union.
Does any union represent me now?
No. Chapter 150F requires several events to happen before a union has the right to represent rideshare drivers and collectively bargain with rideshare companies.
- First, the union must file a petition with the Department and provide the Department with evidence that at least five percent (5%) of “Active Rideshare Drivers” (drivers who have driven a certain number of rides in the past six months that originated in Massachusetts) have designated the union as their representative for the purposes of collective bargaining. On December 10, 2025, Department posted a notice on its website that the ADU had been designated as the bargaining representative of at least five percent (5%) of Active Rideshare Drivers. You may have received a message from the rideshare company that you drive for containing a link to this notice.
- Second, the Department must “certify” that the union is the exclusive representative. There are two ways a union can get certified.
- The Department can conduct a secret ballot election in which Active Drivers can vote on whether or not they want a union to represent them. If a majority of the rideshare drivers that vote in the election vote that they want to be represented by a union, the Department will certify the winning union as the exclusive representative of rideshare drivers.
- The union presents evidence to the Department that at least twenty-five (25%) of Active Drivers have designated it as their bargaining representative.
- As of December 2025, the Department has not certified any rideshare union as the representative of rideshare drivers. Therefore, as of December 2025, no union represents the drivers for the purposes of collective bargaining.
How can I join a union?
A union seeking to represent rideshare drivers in Massachusetts may have already contacted you or may contact you in the future asking you to join their union and explaining how to do so. If you have not been contacted by a union but want to join one, information about rideshare unions in Massachusetts is available publicly.
What if I do not want to join a union?
You are under no obligation to join or support a union. If the union contacts you asking you to sign a form stating that you have designated it as the bargaining representative, you do not have to do so. If the Department conducts an election, you have the right to vote against having a union.
What happens after a union is certified?
After the Department certifies a union, Chapter 150F requires the certified union and the rideshare companies to start to negotiate a Collective Bargaining Agreement. If they reach an agreement that the state approves, the terms of that agreement will apply to all rideshare drivers who are covered by the agreement.
Do I have to pay union dues?
No. Chapter 150F does not require rideshare drivers to pay union dues either before or after a rideshare union is certified.
If I join the union, can I still drive for multiple rideshare companies?
Yes.
Will joining the union make me an employee of the company?
No.
What if I am deactivated?
In general, the Department cannot assist you if you have been deactivated. If, however, you believe that you have been deactivated for reasons relating to forming or joining a union, your rights are set forth here. It is unlawful for a rideshare company to interfere in any way with your right to join (or not to join) a union.
If you have been deactivated for reasons pertaining to your driving or licensing privileges in Massachusetts, you can find out more information here.