Illinois ride-share union bill pushed through amid disagreement on new fee

(The Center Square) – An Illinois bill allowing thousands of ride-share drivers to unionize made some motion in an Illinois House committee Thursday, despite opposition from some stakeholders.

The bill sets a structure for how drivers would begin to unionize and negotiate with industry leaders.

House Bill 4743 would allow the more than 100,000 contract employees of ride-share services – such as Uber and Lyft – in the state to organize, requiring a minimum of 10% of active drivers to begin the process. The bill also sets a threshold of 30% of active drivers signing union authorization cards to begin any negotiations with the ride-share industry.

The bill would also add a new 20 cent fee to each ride conducted in the state, something the Illinois Labor Relations Board opposes. Kimberly Stevens from the Board said the fee creates a conflict of interest for her organization.

“Our major concerns about this bill with regard to the fee imposed on rides, that would, in the current form, come to the board to administer and to make discr...