|
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Thursday, Jan. 29, 2026
Contact:
NYTWA - Eliza Bates, 646.285.8491, Media@nytwa.org
CM Krishnan - Victoria Opperman, 646.530.5436, Vopperman@council.nyc.gov
NYC Will Have Strongest & Most Comprehensive Just Cause Protections in the Nation for Uber and Lyft Drivers After New York City Council Passed Historic Bill
Krishnan & NYTWA Celebrate Historic Veto Override After 46 Council Members Override Eric Adams New Years Even Veto ushering in the strongest and most comprehensive just cause protections for for-hire vehicle drivers in the nation
NEW YORK– New York City will soon have the strongest and most comprehensive just cause protections for Uber and Lyft drivers in the nation after today’s City Council vote on a historic bill.
On January 29th, 2026, Council Member Krishnan, members of the NYC Council, Uber and Lyft driver and members of the New York Taxi Workers Alliance, NYTWA Executive Director Bhairavi Desai, Department of Consumer and Worker Protection Commissioner Sam Levine, and labor and community allies including United Auto Workers Region 9A, Korean American Family Service Center, Worker Justice Project/Los Deliveristas Unidos, Asian American Legal Defense and Education Fund, and the National Employment Law Project rallied in support of the veto override of Intro 276.
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. After the passage of Intro 276 with a veto-proof super majority of 40 City Council votes in December 2025, former Mayor Eric Adams vetoed the legislation hours before the end of his term. During the January 29th state meeting, 46 Council Members voted to overrode the former Mayor's veto, gaining 6 members in support. The passage and override comes after months of misinformation campaigns hosted by Lyft and Uber in an attempt to undermine this victory for workers.
[SEE PHOTOS HERE]
Photos can be attributable to the New York City Council Media Unit
On July 28th, 2026 the law will go into effect – ending the threat of unfair firings for almost 100,000 Uber and Lyft drivers in New York City.
“Today we proved to the nation that workers can dream bigger, fight the hard fights, and win. Uber and Lyft opened up their billion-dollar war chests to fight against this legislation, spreading fear to New Yorkers because they know that today's victory and overriding the corrupt former Mayor's veto will inspire a movement of workers across the country demanding more. No longer can Uber and Lyft hold the fear of unfair firings over the heads of almost 100,000 drivers in New York City,” said Council Member Shekar Krishnan, prime sponsor of Intro 276.
“New York City Uber and Lyft drivers made history today winning the strongest just cause protections in the nation,” said NYTWA Executive Director Bhairavi Desai. “Members of the New York Taxi Workers Alliance refused to give up or give in, continued to fight and show up through every storm and every setback, knowing that when workers lead, change is possible. We stood up to billionaire corporations that cruelly and callously destroy lives and livelihoods at the click of a button. None of Uber and Lyft’s ruthless lobbying or astroturfing or even Uber’s bought-and-paid-for company union could stand in our way. Every worker should have the right to defend themselves against unfair firings, and every person in America should have the right to due process, and that is ultimately what our bill, Intro 276, is about. Today’s victory would not have been possible without our fierce champion, Council Member Shekar Krishnan, and without the leadership of Council Speaker Julie Menin, or our incredible allies among the city council and in our community.”
"No worker in this city should lose their job because a computer made a mistake, no family should lose their income because a corporation treated its workers as replaceable,” said DCWP Commissioner Sam Levine. ”That’s why we proudly support this legislation, because it says something simple and powerful: drivers deserve fairness, stability, and due process. Under Mayor Mamdani, New York City’s for-hire vehicle drivers will have a City Hall that stands with workers, rather than against them. It’s about time."
Uber driver and NYTWA member Ibrahim Zoure said, “For too long, New York City Uber and Lyft drivers could wake up any day in a nightmare finding ourselves in financial crisis because Uber deactivated us for no reason and we had no recourse. Drivers work in the cold, in the snow, and in the rain, risking our own safety to take people to their doctor appoints, to work, to get them home safely. Yet Uber treats us as expendable. We pay for our cars, our insurance, our repairs out of pocket, but until now we had no job security. That changes today.”
Saif Aizah, Lyft driver and NYTWA member who was unjustly fired by Uber, said, “Today’s victory means that other drivers and their families won’t have to go through what I did. Finally we are at the end of the tunnel of suffering from unfair deactivations. Because Uber deactivated me unfairly without giving me a chance to defend myself, I’m drowning in so much debt that I filed for bankruptcy. The stress and frustration from suddenly losing my livelihood has affected my health, mentally and physically. I cannot pay for my groceries, my bills, my rent, or even spend quality time with my kids. Thousands of other drivers have the same story that I do. Now that we have won just cause protections, we will finally have a chance to defend ourselves, to have dignity, and to be treated with respect instead of just being a number for corporate billionaires.”
"The new app-based economy has largely overseen itself up until recently, and with that power has committed labor abuses against the workers supporting its’ business models,” said Council Member Sandy Nurse. “Int-276-A is a necessary piece of legislation as we collectively work to protect people from being unfairly deactivated and having their means of earning a livelihood put in jeopardy."
“Drivers on ride share apps should not live in fear that their accounts will be terminated without notice or cause. These multi-billion dollar apps can afford to institute a process for true accountability,” said Council Member Santosuosso (District 47).
“No one should live in fear of being deactivated by a faceless algorithm,” said Council Member Shahana Hanif (District 39). “I’m proud to co-sponsor Intro 276 to protect Uber and Lyft drivers from wrongful deactivation and give them the right to challenge unfair treatment. I look forward to overriding former Mayor Adams’ veto in our new era of government truly committed to protecting workers.”
“We need to call this what it is, "Deactivation" is a corporate workaround for firing people without accountability. Sidestepping due process and the basic rights of workers is disgraceful, and to boldly use a word as cold and inhumane as "deactivating" when talking about taking somebody's job away from them is something out of a dystopian novel. These drivers are not disposable, they are people.This is a slippery slope, and as local legislators, we are stepping up and telling Uber, Lyft, and all corporations implementing policies that jeopardize workers' rights through technical language and internal policies, that the buck stops here. If you operate in our city, you must treat your employees as people, with respect and basic human decency. I'm proud to be part of this effort and hope that other cities join in. This cannot be allowed to happen here or anywhere in our country,” said Council Member Justin Sanchez (District 17).
“Hardworking ride-share drivers are too often subject to the unchecked power of billionaire tech companies that can deactivate their accounts at any time,” said Council Member Harvey Epstein (District 2). “Intro 276 strengthens protections for drivers while preserving passenger safety. Every worker deserves fairness and due process. We must override the former mayor’s veto and ensure thousands of drivers have the protections they need.”
“No ride-share driver should have to live in fear that they could lose their job overnight and not be able to support their family because of a mistake made by an algorithm. Ending wrongful deactivation and securing the drivers’ right to basic information and an appeal is a crucial protection for the people who keep our city moving. Thank you to Council Member Krishnan whose leadership has been crucial for this important bill,” said City Council Majority Leader Shaun Abreu.
“Today’s vote to override former Mayor Adams’s veto of Intro 276-A is a major victory for working-class New Yorkers and a clear rejection of the multibillion-dollar tech platform agenda,” said Ligia Guallpa, Executive Director of Worker’s Justice Project and Co-Founder of its Los Deliveristas Unidos campaign. “Time after time, these companies have tried – and failed – to buy our politics while exploiting our labor. That’s because workers are standing united and saying no more to automated exploitation and reckless AI systems that fire workers without warning, explanation, or due process. With Intro 276-A, the New York Taxi Workers Alliance is setting the standard and leading the nation in the fight for the strongest just-cause deactivation and lockout protections for app-based workers – and inspiring movements like ours while doing so. Rideshare drivers and deliveristas run the streets of this city and keep New York moving – and today, alongside our allies in the City Council, we are making clear that job security, due process, and dignity for app workers are non-negotiable.”
"Today, the City Council made good on their promise to New York City's app-based workers, overriding Eric Adams' shameful veto of Int. 276, and guaranteeing just cause protections for Uber & Lyft drivers who keep the city running every day," said Daniel Ocampo, Staff Attorney at the National Employment Law Project. "This is a much needed and overdue measure to ensure that the city's ridehail drivers no longer face unfair and arbitrary firings, and 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. Thanks to today's override, we are one step closer to making app-based jobs good jobs in New York."
Brandon Mancilla, Director of UAW Region 9A, said, “UAW Region 9A is thrilled with the victory for drivers across New York City today! We commend the City Council for doing the right thing after the shameful veto by the previous mayoral administration. We are excited to continue to support NYTWA's efforts to win justice for thousands of working class drivers every single day."
“Intro. 276 affirms that the livelihoods of drivers and other gig economy workers are as sacrosanct as anyone else’s, and cannot be destroyed with the careless click of a button or algorithm,” said Elizabeth Koo, attorney at the Asian American Legal Defense and Education Fund (AALDEF). “This law delivers real protections for workers unfairly targeted with arbitrary deactivation, including the immigrant workers who make up a disproportionate share of the drivers that keep this city moving. It is a true victory thanks to the tireless advocacy of drivers across the city, the New York Taxi Workers Alliance, and supportive City Council members, led by Councilmember Shekar Krishnan, who stood firm to override the veto and refused to let unjust deactivations continue unchecked.”
"At the Korean American Family Service Center, we work every day with immigrant survivors of gender-based violence who already face enormous barriers to safety and justice. For too long, app-based workers—many of them immigrants—have been deactivated without transparency or due process, pushing families deeper into economic instability and vulnerability. Introduction 276 is about fairness, accountability, and safety. It ensures that workers are not punished without cause while preserving the ability to act swiftly when real harm occurs. We strongly support this bill because protecting workers’ rights and protecting community safety must go hand in hand,” said Jeehae Fischer, Executive Director, Korean American Family Service Center.
Intro 276 is the strongest and most comprehensive just cause bill for Uber and Lyft drivers in the nation. The bill 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.
- Uber & Lyft must follow standard for just cause if they are going to deactivate drivers.
- Requires companies to give drivers 14 days notice before deactivation is in effect, except in cases of egregious misconduct.
- 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.
- 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
- 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.
| 
