Uber has filed a lawsuit against the City of Seattle to block a law regulating driver deactivations. According to The Seattle Times, the company claims the new law infringes on its rights to manage drivers based on performance and safety concerns.
“Uber believes that ensuring consumers receive reliable, efficient and, above all, safe deliveries is more important than allowing couriers with consistently low consumer ratings — a sign of serious performance and/or safety issues — to keep disappointing consumers. The city does not,” the lawsuit states.
The Seattle City Council passed the law in 2023 with strong backing from former council member Theresa Mosqueda.
“To deactivate a driver or to cut someone off to have their ability to have an income with no warning and no recourse is just wrong,” Mosqueda said at the time.
The law, set to go into effect on Jan. 1, requires companies like Uber to adopt reasonable deactivation policies, provide advance notice to drivers, and conduct fair investigations. It aims to promote transparency and protect gig workers from sudden deactivations that could threaten their livelihoods.
Uber argues the legislation undermines its ability to promptly address issues of performance and safety, potentially leading to diminished service quality. The company also claims the law violates its constitutional rights by requiring it to associate with problematic drivers and disclose confidential business information.
This law is part of broader efforts by Seattle lawmakers and labor advocates to safeguard gig workers, who often lack union protections. The legislation includes provisions to prevent deactivations for reasons like low customer ratings, insufficient driving hours, or declined ride offers, except in extreme cases.
Additionally, companies must provide records justifying a deactivation and offer drivers an opportunity to contest the decision. Seattle Mayor Bruce Harrell, who signed the bill into law, emphasized its importance in protecting app-based workers. However, Uber contends that its current policies already ensure safety and reliability for customers.