The most expensive measure in California history, Proposition 22, passed by a large margin on Tuesday, according to the Associated Press.
Proposition 22 is all about app-based driver jobs and exempts companies like Uber, Lyft, Doordash and others from providing employee benefits to certain drivers. These companies get away with this by labeling their drivers as independent contractors.
According to Ballotpedia, app-based companies spent close to 203 million dollars in support of Proposition 22, with the opposition raising around 20 million.
Uber was founded in 2009, Lyft in 2012 and DoorDash in 2013.
The babies of corporate America just purchased their own labor laws, and we should be disgustingly embarrassed about it.
The large amount of money spent by these companies went to misleading advertisements.
Many of these advertisements contained misinformation and false representation. In one case, a fake group that claimed to be backed by Senator Bernie Sanders sent out mail urging voters to vote Yes on 22.

Anyone who used these apps in the last few weeks were also told by the app to vote yes. Whether you were a customer or employee, the apps bombarded you with messages that were pro-Proposition 22 before you could use the app’s services.
To further strengthen their shady practices, these companies also shielded themselves from legislative ruling by writing in a provision that requires a seven-eights vote to amend Proposition 22. This makes a “supermajority” look laughable.
In addition, if this near impossible majority actually happens, all changes must be “consistent” with the wants of Proposition 22’s backers.
The fact that these companies spent hundreds of millions on misleading us instead of using that money to benefit their workers and their country is already a tough pill to swallow, but watching my lovely home state allow them to get away with it is a brutal right hook to the jaw.
We are the United States of America, our labor movement changed worker’s rights around the world. Unions have become a staple of the Democratic party and California is a Democratic powerhouse, yet none of that mattered on Tuesday.
Instead of brooding over this decision, it is imperative that we as voters prevent this from happening in other states. They got away with it once and will be looking to do it again.
“Yes, there will be financial consequences for businesses driven by gig workers, but California is not the only state considering legislation to secure benefits for app-dependent drivers and delivery people,” said the New York Times Editorial Board.
The fight for worker’s rights is far from over, and we cannot allow this corporate victory in California to snowball. Tech-based businesses are just post-modern businesses. Do not let them sway you from your own values, and pay attention to what a win or loss may mean; not just in your state, but for all of them.
Our founders never intended for our rights to be bought or sold. Organize and mobilize.