Opponents of Uber, Lyft-backed gig worker voting initiative allege campaign finance violations – Boston Herald

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Opponents of a ballot initiative that would codify agency worker status for drivers of companies like Uber, Lyft and DoorDash as independent contractors allege a series of campaign finance violations and ask state regulators to ‘investigate.

“On Tuesday August 3, after months of careful planning and political spending out of the public eye, a Big Tech lobby group funded by Uber, Lyft, DoorDash and Instacart known as the Massachusetts Coalition for Independent Work ( MCIW), filed voting language with the Massachusetts Attorney General’s Office (AGO) and then formed a voting issues committee, ”states the complaint filed by the Coalition to Protect Workers’ Rights that was filed Monday and shared with the Herald.

Coalition Director Mike Firestone accused poll rivals of “violating Massachusetts labor, civil rights and consumer protection laws” in letter to the Office of Campaign and Finance state policies.

A spokesperson for the rival camp, called the Massachusetts Coalition for Independent Work, denied the complaint, saying it included “false allegations” intended to distract from the issue.

“Last week, drivers voted in favor of this issue in the ballot because they support the flexibility and benefits it offers with an overwhelming 7: 1 margin,” spokesman Conor Yunits said in a statement. “It is unfortunate that others are trying to distract from what drivers clearly want by making false statements based on their willful misunderstanding of Massachusetts campaign finance law.”

The state’s campaign finance office is legally prohibited from acknowledging complaints, and a spokesperson refused to confirm or deny whether the complaint shared by the Coalition for the Protection of Workers’ Rights had been filed.

Firestone alleges that the Coalition for Independent Work has a habit of working “to undermine the protection of the labor and civil rights of Massachusetts workers and the consumer rights of Massachusetts customers” and recently spent $ 220 million to a similar initiative in California.

Uber and Lyft are also facing a lawsuit from Attorney General Maura Healey over their classification of workers which she says increases profits by viewing drivers as independent contractors rather than employees.

“These large out-of-state tech companies are currently violating Massachusetts labor, civil rights, and consumer protection laws. Now they are apparently also breaking our campaign finance laws, ”Firestone wrote in the letter. “Given the industry record for unprecedented corporate spending on deceptive advertising, over $ 220 million in 2020 alone, we call on the OCPF to hold them accountable. “

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