History 

​Founded in 2018 by a group of LA drivers, Rideshare Drivers United is a driver-led organization, our values deeply rooted in worker democracy, grassroots action, and labor rights. We’ve grown from 400 members in Fall 2018 to over 20,000 California driver members today. We have built three California based chapters, in LA, San Diego, and the Bay Area. 

In our 2019, we organized two significant driver strikes, our first in LA, and our second right before Uber’s IPO, that inspired global driver actions on six continents around the world. Our strikes and our multiple trips to Sacramento to engage legislators helped us win California legislation, AB5, that clarified that because we have little control over our work, we are due all rights due employees. Because the companies ignored the law, we began “The People’s Enforcement Campaign” for AB5. Over 5,000 of RDU driver members filed wage claims with the State of California Labor Commission. Our claims totaled more than $1.3 Billion in stolen wages, expenses, and damages, and inspired the Labor Commission to file a suit against both Lyft & Uber on behalf of all drivers. Those suits are still active in the California courts, and cover all Lyft and Uber drivers who have driven since 2016.

With the state of California behind the drivers, the companies retaliated with a ballot proposition that would permanently assign app-based drivers and delivery workers in a second class labor category, as independent contractors but without control over our wage setting or businesses, but unable to access basic wage, benefits, safety regulations, and the like through basic labor law.  In our fight against the dangerous Prop 22, hundreds of driver volunteers texted and phoned over a million California voters to tell them that Prop 22 was poised to hurt drivers. Sadly the companies spent an unprecedented $230 million on the campaign, making false promises to voters, and we lost our rights to Prop 22 when 58% of the voters said Yes to the initiative. 

And after the devastating loss of Prop 22, RDU driver members have said unequivocally, we are ready to continue our fight for fair wages and a voice on the job. With the recent ruling that Prop 22 was unconstitutional, we have continued our fight for full labor rights for all app-based workers, as well as good regulation and other campaigns to help drivers in California and beyond restore dignity and fairness to our profession.

Mission 

Rideshare Drivers United - California (RDU) is an organization of drivers who are uniting for a just rideshare industry, where drivers have a real voice in their job and earn fair pay and benefits. We are:

• building a democratic, driver-led organization of app-based workers that demands fair treatment from an industry that systematically exploits its workers,
  
  

• developing a hybrid app-based and driver-to-driver organizing model to involve and develop a truly representative, broad group of drivers, while building capacity to develop an organization to scale,
  
  

• strategically embedding media and social media in our organizing to overcome a well-financed, powerful opposition and gain broad public support for our movement,
  
  

• developing the capacity of both members and leaders, who comprise a broad diversity of races, gender identities, nationalities, and abilities, to step up into all the roles of our demanding organizing efforts, and
  
  

• replicating our organizing model for app-based industries in cities across the United States and internationally.
  
  

Who We Are

Work gets done in RDU by volunteers, drivers. We have one or two paid organizers who are drivers who staff the work. So if we are a little slow to respond, or miss a typo here and there, just know it was a volunteer that may have missed their call, and we apologize. We try hard to stay on top of things. The lion's share of work we accomplish is because of the deep commitment and leadership of driver leaders and a few treasured allies who work as totally unpaid, volunteer organizers and in many other roles. We pride ourselves as a drivers’ organization run by drivers. 

Board of Directors 

We have a democratically elected Board of Driver Members, all of whom are the primary force of vision and work in our campaign. Members who pay membership fees of $15/month are eligible to vote in the election, held every other year. To become a voting member, join as a due paying member here: https://www.drivers-united.org/membership-contributions

	Nicole Moore: President Los Angeles Area, Part-time Lyft Driver
	Alvaro Bolainez: Vice President Los Angeles Area, Lyft and Uber Driver
	Riley Oestreicher: Treasurer San Diego Area, Lyft and Uber Driver
	Esterphanie St. Juste: Board Member Los Angeles Area, Lyft and Uber Driver
	Eduardo Romero: Board Member Los Angeles Area, Uber and Lyft Driver
	Taje Gill Board Member Los Angeles, Uber and Lyft Driver
	Ben Valdez: Board Member Los Angeles Area, Uber Driver
	Erica Raviart: Board Member Bay Area, Part time Lyft & Uber Driver
	Dominique Smith: Board Member Bay Area, Uber & Delivery Driver
	Carlos Pelayo: Board Member San Diego, Uber & Lyft Driver