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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Friday, December 19, 2025
Contact:
NYTWA - Eliza Bates, 646.285.8491, Media@nytwa.org
CM Krishnan - Victoria Opperman, 646.530.5436, Vopperman@council.nyc.gov
Council Member Krishnan and NYTWA Celebrate Passage of Most Comprehensive Just Cause Protection Law in The Nation for App-Based Drivers
NEW YORK– On Thursday, December 18th, the New York City Council passed Intro 276, ending the threat of unfair “deactivations” or firings for almost 100,000 app-based drivers in NYC. Intro 276 is the largest and most comprehensive reform of unfair firings for app-based drivers in the country, setting a nationwide precedent for driver protections. The passage comes after months of aggressive misinformation campaigns sponsored by Uber and Lyft, in their costly attempt to stall the bill and prevent worker power.
Uber and Lyft drivers can be deactivated for any reason or no reason at all, with no warning and no recourse. Unlike most workers, Uber and Lyft drivers pay to work, often going into debt to purchase their own vehicles, and paying out-of-pocket for gas, insurance, and vehicle maintenance. Yet they labor with no job security and are left with the debt after being fired from the apps. 90% remain deactivated. Intro 276 will solve the crisis of unjust firings for Uber and Lyft drivers.
Before the bill passed 40 in the affirmative, 7 in the negative and 1 absention, Council Member Krishnan, joined by the New York Taxi Workers Alliance, Korean American Family Service Center, and Council Members Hanif, Marte, and Epstein, and hundreds of Uber, Lyft, and Yellow Cab drivers. Cabs driving down Broadway honked in solidarity. The rally spotlighted drivers who have been deactivated and the devastating impacts deactivation has had on their finances and families.
After the rally, the group joined the Street Vendor Project and Los Deliveristas Unidos/Workers Justice Project for a march along Broadway, highlighting the solidarity amongst gig workers and the historic passage of a slate of worker protection bills.
[PHOTOS]
“Gone is the era where 4.8-star drivers open the Uber app to a dark screen and get no answers as to why. My bill gives drivers rights– just cause, notice, and the means to appeal an unfair firing. Our New York City Council has taken on Uber and Lyft’s billion-dollar war chest that has fueled their lies, fear-mongering, and misinformation. Together, we are standing united with workers and passing my legislation that will start a nationwide movement to give app-based drivers the power they deserve,” said Council Member Shekar Krishnan, prime sponsor of Intro 276.
“Intro 276 sets the strongest standard for just cause protections for Uber and Lyft drivers in the country,” said Bhairavi Desai, Executive Director of the New York Taxi Workers Alliance. “The passage of this historic bill means that drivers, who go into debt just to work, will no longer have to worry about going to sleep after a grueling day on the road only to wake and find they have been unfairly deactivated, left with no income overnight at the click of a button. This bill is about due process, but fundamentally it is also about the basic dignity every worker deserves.”
[CLICK HERE FOR NYTWA'S FULL STATEMENT]
NYTWA member and Uber and Lyft driver Carmen Cruz said, “We are so proud of our victory. Drivers have been in the streets fighting for our rights in the cold and in the heat. We fight for our rights because even though we give these giant corporations so much, they don’t care about us. And we are sick and tired of being treated unfairly. Drivers have to provide for our families, take our children to school every day, and put food on the table. Our victory shows the power of our union, the New York Taxi Workers Alliance, and the power of worker solidarity.”
“Uber and Lyft workers completely depend on app-based gig work for their livelihood, yet these companies evade labor laws by classifying full-time drivers as ‘gig’ workers,” said Council Member Shahana Hanif. “No one should live in fear of being deactivated by a faceless algorithm. I’m proud to co-sponsor Intro 276 to protect workers from wrongful deactivation and give them the right to challenge unfair treatment.”
"Hardworking ride-share drivers are at the mercy of billionaire tech companies who can deactivate their accounts on a whim. With Intro 276 we’re strengthening worker protections for drivers while balancing passenger safety on these platforms. Workers deserve due process,” said Council Member Harvey Epstein.
“For too long, app-based drivers have been one click away from losing their livelihood, with no explanation, no due process, and no way to fight back. This legislation makes clear that deactivation is not just a technical decision—it’s a termination, and workers deserve basic fairness and transparency. By establishing just-cause protections, clear notice requirements, and real remedies, we’re putting guardrails around an industry that has operated in the shadows for far too long and affirming that working New Yorkers deserve dignity and job security, no matter the platform,” said Council Member Christopher Marte.
“For-hire vehicle drivers keep New York City moving, yet too many are one app notification away from losing their livelihoods with no explanation and no recourse,” said New York City Council Majority Whip Selvena N. Brooks-Powers, Chair of the Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure. “Introduction 276 is about basic fairness and dignity at work — ensuring that drivers are treated with transparency, respect, and due process. I support efforts to establish clear standards around deactivation and to give drivers a meaningful opportunity to advocate for themselves. I thank my colleagues and the advocates for all their support.”
"All workers should be protected against arbitrary and unfair firings, including Uber & Lyft drivers who keep New York City running every day. That's why the passage of Int. 276 is a huge victory—extending just cause protections to drivers who are routinely getting fired without notice, an explanation, or a right to appeal. The City’s existing just cause law for fast-food workers has proven that these protections work, offering some stability to workers without harming business," said Daniel Ocampo, Staff Attorney at the National Employment Law Project.
"At the Korean American Family Service Center, we support immigrant survivors of gender-based violence, many of whom are low-income and have been forced to rebuild from scratch after years of instability, coercion, and financial control. For the families we serve, a steady paycheck is often the difference between staying safe and being pulled back into crisis. When a driver can be deactivated without clear standards or a fair process, the harm ripples far beyond one person—it threatens a family’s housing, food security, and an ability to move forward. Intro 276-A is a necessary step toward basic fairness and transparency, while maintaining safety and accountability for our immigrant workers,” said Jeehae Fischer, Executive Director of KAFSC.
“The passage of Intro 276 is a historic win for fairness and dignity in New York City’s workforce,” said Elizabeth Koo, attorney at the Asian American Legal Defense and Education Fund (AALDEF). “For too long, drivers—many of them immigrants and people of color—have lost their livelihoods without notice, explanation, or a real chance to challenge unjust deactivations. This hard-won victory is a testament to the leadership of the New York Taxi Workers Alliance, the organizing power of drivers across the city, and Councilmember Shekar Krishnan’s steadfast commitment to protecting workers’ rights. We commend the City Council for standing with drivers and setting a clear standard for fairness in the gig economy.”
Intro 276 makes it unlawful for Uber and Lyft to fire drivers without just cause and, in non-egregious cases, without advance notice or progressive discipline. The bill:
- Puts burden of proof on Uber & Lyft in deactivation cases - not on the drivers.
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Uber & Lyft must follow standard for just cause if they are going to deactivate drivers.
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Requires companies to give drivers 14 days notice before deactivation is in effect, except in cases of egregious misconduct.
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Drivers will have an independent appeal process: through arbitration, going to court, working with the city agency to file a complaint, or even using the current company-run appeal process should they choose. Drivers can choose what works best for them.
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Uber & Lyft must engage in "progressive discipline" except in cases of egregious misconduct, meaning the serious punishment of a deactivation must fit the violation and drivers must have been made aware of behavior which the companies consider to be a violation
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Allows drivers to get reinstatement and backpay (lost earnings for the time they were deactivated) if deactivated without good cause
- Drivers deactivated over the past 6 years from the date the bill goes into effect would have one year to independently appeal their cases.
- Allows companies to immediately deactivate drivers based on egregious misconduct: If the basis for the deactivation is egregious misconduct, the companies can deactivate immediately and do not need to show progressive discipline or prior warnings.
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