Rideshare Drivers Launch Two-Day Statewide Push for Union Rights

On Tuesday, January 20, 2026, rideshare drivers with the Illinois Drivers Alliance — a union coalition powered by SEIU Local 1 and IAM Union – joined state lawmakers to announce landmark legislation that would create a legal pathway for more than 100,000 rideshare drivers in Illinois to form a union and bargain collectively with app-based companies. The announcement marks the start of a two-day statewide push, as hundreds of rideshare drivers are set to travel to Springfield tomorrow to talk with lawmakers at the Illinois State Capitol and urge swift passage of the bill. 

The legislation, the Illinois Transportation Network Driver Labor Relations Act, is chief sponsored by State Senator Ram Vilivalam and State Representative Yolanda Morris, and was unveiled at a press conference joined by State Senators Javier Cervantes (1), Robert Martwick (10), Celina Villanueva (12), Robert Peters (10), Willie Preston (16), and Graciela Guzmán (20), along with dozens of Illinois rideshare drivers and fellow drivers from Massachusetts, California, and Minnesota.

The Illinois Transportation Network Driver Labor Relations Act establishes a pathway for drivers to form a union and ensures that drivers get to choose the union that best represents them. The bill includes sectoral bargaining rights over:

(1) Compensation.

(2) Benefits.

(3) Appeals process for deactivations.

(4) Representation of TNC drivers in deactivation appeals.

(5) Paid leave.

(6) Information disclosed to TNC drivers about trips on a per-trip basis.

Rideshare drivers are essential to Illinois’ transportation system, ensuring millions of residents, visitors, students, and workers can get where they need to go each day. Yet despite powering a multibillion-dollar industry, drivers continue to face shrinking wages, sudden and unjust deactivations, unsafe working conditions, and no meaningful recourse or representation.

Drivers in Illinois are not alone in this fight. In Massachusetts, app-based drivers organizing with the App Drivers Union, powered by IAM and 32BJ SEIU, won a historic victory in 2024 by passing Question 3, a statewide ballot initiative that secured collective bargaining rights for rideshare drivers. In California, the legislature passed a law in 2025 that gives drivers the right to form a union and bargain for fair pay, safe working conditions, and respect. These wins prove that when drivers organize and take their fight directly to the public, they can overcome corporate opposition and win real power on the job. Illinois drivers are building on this momentum as they push for legislation that delivers the same fundamental right: a collective voice and a union of their choosing.

“For more than a decade, rideshare drivers have kept Illinois moving as a vital part of Illinois’ transportation infrastructure and our everyday lives – showing up at all hours, in all conditions, to keep our communities connected and yet, have done so without a seat at the table or a voice on the job,” said Illinois Drivers Alliance Leader and SEIU Local 1 President Genie Kastrup. “This legislation is about fairness and dignity – giving drivers the ability to organize and choose the representation that best reflects their needs, while also guaranteeing sectoral bargaining rights over compensation, benefits, a fair system to address unjust deactivations, and more.”

“This bill protects drivers and guarantees their right to have a voice,” said IAM Midwest Territory General Vice President and IDA Leader Sam Cicinelli. “It’s about fairness. It’s about dignity. And it’s about respecting the workers who make this industry possible. We also want to thank the chief sponsors of this legislation, Senator Ram Villivalam and Representative Yolanda Morris, for their leadership and commitment to ensuring rideshare drivers have respect and dignity on the job.”

"This is what momentum looks like, when workers who've been written off decide they're ready to build their union," said April Verrett, President of the Service Employees International Union. "I'm proud that my home state of Illinois is next in line to create a pathway for rideshare drivers to unionize and move toward the bargaining table. From Illinois expressways to California freeways and the Massachusetts turnpike, nearly one million rideshare drivers are linking arms and demanding new organizing rules for this changing economy. In the process, they're bringing all of us on a ride that could lead to some of the biggest private-sector organizing wins in decades. We're calling on Illinois legislators to stand with drivers, pass this bold, innovative bill, and be a part of the next chapter of the labor movement."

“Rideshare drivers are essential to keeping Illinois moving. Every day, they connect people to work, school, health care, and each other – often during late nights, emergencies, and moments when no other transportation is available,” said State Senator Ram Villivalam, chief sponsor of the legislation. “Despite the critical role they play in our economy and our communities, drivers have been denied a real voice on the job. This legislation recognizes their essential work and ensures the people who keep our state connected finally have a seat at the table. I am proud and eager to work alongside my colleagues to get the Illinois Transportation Network Driver Labor Relations Act passed this session.”

“As drivers, we’re pitted against an algorithm we don’t control, a billion-dollar corporation we can’t negotiate with, and other drivers who are just as desperate to survive,” said rideshare driver Francer Aguilar. “On top of that, driving has become more stressful than ever. Instead of focusing on providing safe, reliable rides, we’re constantly worried about the app – whether the next trip will pay enough, whether a false complaint will get us deactivated, whether today is the day we lose our livelihood without warning. This is our reality, but it doesn’t have to be that way. We need a union.”

“We deserve the same rights as all workers — the right to form a union and have a voice on the job about conditions, wages, and deactivation,” said David Crane, a Chicago rideshare driver. “We need to be able to represent ourselves and bargain collectively about safety, fair pay, and due process in deactivation cases. A union is our voice, and this legislation allows us to join the union of our choice.”

BACKGROUND: 

In May 2025, rideshare drivers from across Illinois gathered at the Howlett Secretary of State Building in Springfield to call on state lawmakers to support upcoming legislation that grants app-based drivers the right to collectively bargain under the union of their choice. 

In June 2025, the Illinois Drivers Alliance announced it would file legislation to at last secure bargaining rights for the more than 100,000 estimated rideshare drivers residing in Illinois. At the same time, the coalition announced that after years of grassroots pressure and mobilization, Uber agreed not to oppose bargaining rights for rideshare drivers in Illinois.

In January 2026, the Illinois Drivers Alliance, alongside lawmakers, introduced the Illinois Transportation Network Driver Labor Relations Act, SB 2906.