How the combination of a pandemic and Prop 22 has affected ride-hail drivers

Under California's Proposition 22, passed last year, companies whose apps dispatch gig workers aren’t considered those workers' employers, so they are exempt from providing benefits for them like unemployment protections, minimum wage, and sick leave. The proposition did provide for a minimum earnings guarantee and some health care benefits like stipends and insurance for on-the-job injuries. Still, drivers and labor organizers have said that they’re left choosing between paying the bills and managing their coronavirus exposure risk, because they lack full employee protections. Cherri Murphy, a lead organizer for Gig Workers Rising who has also worked as a Lyft driver, explains.