More than 100 Rideshare Drivers Rally in Chicago to Announce Powerful Coalition Led by SEIU Local 1, IAM Local 701, Chicago Gig Alliance
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: Thursday, March 13, 2025
Contact(s):
SEIU Local 1:
ENGLISH | Bailey Koch | kochb@seiu1.org | 320-221-2126
SPANISH | Luisangel Rodriguez | lrodriguez@seiu1.org | 815-295-4725
IAM Local 701: ENGLISH | Jonathan Battaglia | jbattaglia@iamaw.org | 202-579-3212
Chicago Gig Alliance: ENGLISH | Deana Rutherford | deana@thepeopleslobbyusa.org | 773-230-8112
Chicago drivers’ demand builds on national momentum for rideshare union rights…
More than 100 Rideshare Drivers Rally in Chicago to Announce Powerful Coalition Led by SEIU Local 1, IAM Local 701, Chicago Gig Alliance
Outside Uber’s Chicago HQ, drivers demand statewide legislation securing the right to join together in a union.
CHICAGO – At a rally outside Uber’s Chicago headquarters on Thursday, rideshare drivers from across Chicagoland announced a robust coalition including SEIU Local 1, IAM Local 701, and the Chicago Gig Alliance to continue the fight in raising standards for rideshare drivers across Illinois. Drivers and their allies demanded legislation that would grant them the legal right to form a union and to freely and fairly decide which organization represents them in their fight for unionization.
Drivers came together to shine a light on pervasive issues in their industry, including unfair deactivations, high out-of-pocket costs, and their declining share of fares.
“After years of organizing with the IAM Union’s Independent Driver’s Guild, I couldn’t be more excited to take the next step towards a legal pathway to unionize and a better life,” said Uber driver Mark Balentine. “Together, we have the power to stand up to the billionaires at the top of our industry and win the safety, security, and pay that every rideshare driver deserves.”
“I have long been organizing with SEIU Local 1, my wife is a Local 1 custodian – Local 1 is our family,” said Uber driver Raul Sanchez. “As a driver, I am excited about this coalition, the power we will build together and the change we are going to make. Uber and Lyft drivers deserve the same right as every other worker in this state and we are ready to fight for the right to unionize!”
"I strongly believe in the power of people organizing to protect themselves and their community,” said Uber driver Joe Negrau. “I've been involved with the Chicago Gig Alliance for nearly two years, working to organize drivers and push the FairShare ordinance forward. But to bring those changes to the state level, we need the right to unionize."
SEIU Local 1, IAM Local 701 and the Chicago Gig Alliance are combining their organizing efforts to win higher pay, better protections and a path that leads to real, sustainable power for rideshare drivers. Drivers have been organizing with these groups in Chicago and across the country for years and are calling on lawmakers at every level of government to support legislation to improve conditions for rideshare drivers and protect their ability to provide for their families.
At the city level, the coalition is supporting an ordinance that guarantees fair wages, creates safety protections, and protects drivers from unfair deactivation (the practice of removing drivers from the Uber and Lyft apps with no appeals process). At the state level, coalition drivers are demanding that Illinois lawmakers pass legislation that enshrines their right to organize together in a union and collectively bargain with Uber and Lyft. They are building on the model of Massachusetts rideshare drivers, who won state legislation last November establishing their right to join together in a union — the only path forward for winning sustainable improvements to wages, benefits, and job protections.
“Rideshare drivers in Chicago and across the country are fed up and fighting for a pathway to collectively bargain with Uber and Lyft. For years, SEIU Local 1 has been proud to support drivers in their fight for fair pay, safer working conditions, better benefits, and more – and, we already know our union has thousands of drivers and Uber knows that too,” said SEIU Local 1 President Genie Kastrup. “Chicago drivers are calling on our state lawmakers to stand alongside us as we demand a democratic process that allows drivers to organize together in a union.”
“The IAM Union has been winning industry-changing victories for rideshare drivers for over a decade, and we couldn’t be more excited to continue to work with Uber and Lyft drivers in Illinois to gain the right to unionize and receive the rights, benefits and respect on the job they’ve earned,” said IAM Midwest Territory General Vice President Sam Cicinelli. “Together with our SEIU partners, as we’ve successfully accomplished in other areas, we’re determined to work towards passing state legislation in Illinois that gives rideshare drivers a choice in their futures through our strong union representation.”
Illinois Uber, Lyft Drivers Join Nationwide Movement for Union Rights
Across the country, drivers are coming together to create a legal pathway to t bring Uber and Lyft to the table to collectively bargain for better pay and working conditions. Illinois drivers’ demand for statewide legislation follows a historic victory in Massachusetts, where tens of thousands of rideshare drivers won a pathway towards organizing a union through a first-of-its-kind law.
Until Question 3, there had been no state or federal process for rideshare drivers to organize a union or bargain collectively. With their victory in Massachusetts, tens of thousands of drivers won the same right millions of other workers across the country enjoy – the option to join together in a union and negotiate with their employers.
Following success in Massachusetts, Uber and Lyft drivers in Minnesota are calling on state lawmakers to pass a bill that would establish a path towards a union. Illinois drivers join drivers across the country who are fighting back against the status quo in a broken industry and pushing for new ways to organize together.
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Chicago Gig Alliance – Chicago Gig Alliance has been organizing workers to win better pay and worker protections since 2019 and is a project of The People’s Lobby. Our Rideshare Living Wage and Safety Ordinance, introduced by Alder Mike Rodriguez and backed by a majority of the City Council, would support drivers in earning predictable wages and make ridesharing platforms safer for drivers and riders.
IAM Local 701 – IAM Local 701, in conjunction with the IAM Midwest Territory and SEIU Local 1, joined forces in a groundbreaking effort to organize rideshare drivers across the Midwest. Recognizing the urgent need for fair wages, job security, and workplace protections in the gig economy, this joint initiative aims to create a pathway to unionization for drivers who currently lack a voice on the job. By combining Local 701’s deep expertise in representing and advocating for their members, coupled with SEIU Local 1’s strong track record of organizing service workers, this partnership is committed to ensuring rideshare drivers receive the rights, benefits, and respect they deserve on the job.
SEIU Local 1 – The Service Employees International Union (SEIU) Local 1 represents 50,000 workers across the Midwest, including janitors, security officers, airport workers, residential maintenance workers, and more. Committed to improving the lives of its members and all working people, Local 1 is actively organizing rideshare drivers, most recently fighting for safer restrooms for rideshare drivers at Chicago O’Hare International Airport and advocating for a legal pathway for drivers to form a union.