Illinois rideshare drivers rally for unionization bill

SPRINGFIELD — Rideshare drivers rallied at the Illinois State Capitol Wednesday to ask legislators to support their effort to unionize.

The legislation, which had not been filed as of Wednesday afternoon, would grant rideshare drivers the right to unionize and to collectively bargain with transportation network companies like Uber and Lyft through that union.

Rideshare drivers in Illinois have pushed for unionization rights for years, beginning in the city of Chicago in early 2019.

In June 2025 the Illinois Drivers Alliance, a coalition of thousands of Illinois rideshare drivers, announced their intention to work with legislators to file legislation.

“The eight-hour workday, the overtime pay, the health care, the safety on the job, all of it came from the right to organize,” Rep. Yolonda Morris, a Chicago Democrat who plans to sponsor the bill, said at the rally Wednesday. “Today, we are here for Uber drivers.”

The Illinois Drivers Alliance led the effort, which is backed by International Association of Machinists Local 70 and Service Employees International Union Local 1, two unions representing thousands of workers across the Midwest.

“Rideshare drivers like those gathered here today, they keep our communities connected every single day,” Genie Kastrup, president of SEIU Local 1, said at the rally. “They work long, hard hours, often at great personal risk, to keep all of Illinois moving. And yet, despite doing this essential work, rideshare drivers have been denied the same rights as other workers in our state.”

Drivers currently lack the right to unionize under federal labor law because they are classified as independent contractors. The proposal would not change that classification but would give rideshare drivers the right to unionize in Illinois despite their contractor status.

“Let’s be honest, we don't operate independently at all. We don't set our own wages. We don't control the rules. We don't decide who is deactivated and how they're punished. The algorithm, the corporations do,” Brett Currin, a rideshare driver, said. “The drivers are left powerless in Illinois.”

Ongoing lobbying effort

In May 2025, drivers gathered in Springfield to ask lawmakers to support unionization legislation.

Later that year, the Illinois Drivers Alliance announced that Uber agreed not to oppose bargaining rights in Illinois, after “years of grass-roots pressure,” the alliance wrote.

Capitol News Illinois reached out to Uber late Wednesday and is yet to receive a response.

“Today is historic, because today we introduced not only the right and the legislation that gives you the pathway to the union, but a pathway to a contract,” Kastrup said. “Our legislation has one simple idea: Rideshare drivers deserve the same right to organize as every other worker in this state. After all, Illinois is a union state.”

Supporters said the forthcoming bill would not only create a process for drivers to form a union and select a representative, but also form procedures for bargaining, mediation, arbitration and unfair labor practices, provide protection against company unions and build representation and education fees.

Similar legislation is already on the books in Massachusetts and California.

Through collective bargaining, drivers can also push for greater transparency around rideshare pricing and wage algorithms, the Illinois Drivers Alliance said.

“Drivers are paid less each year, while corporations are profiting more … We absorb the cost, the gas, insurance, maintenance and repairs, while companies avoid responsibilities,” Currin said. “When drivers speak up, they can deactivate you without warning, without explanation, without due process.”

A 2025 report shows rideshare prices increased 7% from 2023 to 2025 while Uber and Lyft driver wages decreased between 3% and 5%, according to firm Gridwise Analytics.

“This is why we are here today, because Illinois must lead. We are demanding a legal pathway to unionize so we can negotiate,” Currin said. “Union rights are not radical. They are American. Illinois has always been a labor leader, from factory floors to airports to service jobs, union has built middle class in this state.”