Transportation network company drivers: labor relations.

Assembly Members Wicks and Berman's Transportation Network Company Drivers Labor Relations Act establishes a framework for ride-hailing drivers to organize and engage in collective bargaining with transportation network companies (TNCs) in California. The legislation grants TNC drivers the right to form and join driver organizations while maintaining their ability to decline participation in such groups.

The bill creates a certification process for driver organizations seeking to represent TNC drivers in negotiations. Organizations must either obtain authorization from a specified percentage of active drivers or win a representation election to become certified bargaining representatives. Active drivers are defined as those who have completed at least the median number of rides among qualifying drivers over a six-month period. The legislation specifically prohibits company unions - organizations created, funded, or controlled by TNCs - while allowing for standard labor-management interactions like dues collection and on-premises meetings.

Under the bill's provisions, the Labor and Workforce Development Agency would oversee implementation and enforcement of the new framework. The legislation exempts collective bargaining agreements between drivers and TNCs from state and federal antitrust laws, applying specifically to companies providing more than a minimum threshold of annual rides in California. These provisions build upon existing state labor policy supporting workers' rights to self-organization while accounting for the distinct nature of app-based transportation services.