Instacart joins Uber in suit to block new Seattle law for gig workers
Instacart is joining Uber in a lawsuit against the city of Seattle over a new law scheduled to go into effect Jan. 1, 2025, that would require companies to give gig workers 14 days’ notice before deactivating them.
Uber filed a complaint last week in U.S. District Court in Seattle seeking an injunction against the new rules. They say the Seattle law is unconstitutional because it violates Uber’s First Amendment rights by changing the language the company uses when implementing its policies.
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Instacart reinforced those objections by filing its own complaint against the city on Tuesday. Instacart said it has policies to ensure integrity, safety, and efficiency, which Seattle’s law would override.
The Seattle City Council originally passed the “App-Based Worker Deactivation Rights Ordinance” in August 2023.
The law makes it harder for companies to fire gig workers without giving a clear reason. In addition to giving workers two weeks’ notice, the law requires companies to investigate each case and give workers a chance to contest those decisions.
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Companies would also have to provide notice to gig workers before most deactivations and provide the worker with records substantiating the move.
