Massachusetts Governor Maura Healey has signed the United States' first statewide law allowing app-based ride-hailing drivers to collectively bargain and seek union representation, while preserving their legal status as independent contractors rather than employees. The legislation, announced Tuesday, affects an estimated 70,000 drivers for platforms such as Uber and Lyft in the state, and was welcomed by the newly formed App Drivers Union as a landmark moment for worker dignity. The move is being closely watched across the broader US gig economy, which engaged roughly 42 million workers in 2025, as a potential model for balancing flexibility with labour protections at the national level.