Attorney General Bonta: Ninth Circuit Decision Upholding AB 5 Protections is a Big Win for California Workers

OAKLAND – California Attorney General Rob Bonta today issued the following statement after the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit, sitting en banc, unanimously affirmed the District Court’s decision in Olson v. State of California. The Ninth Circuit rejected Uber and Postmates’ challenge to AB 5 in full, holding that AB 5 is rational in its application to app-based drivers.

"Today's decision upholding AB 5’s protections for app-based drivers is a big win for California workers,” said Attorney General Bonta. "AB 5 was enacted by the California legislature to address a systemic problem of businesses improperly classifying their workers as independent contractors to avoid providing financial benefits and legal protections owed to employees. Today the Ninth Circuit correctly and unanimously rejected Uber and Postmates’ attempt to invalidate the application of AB 5 to the app-based driving sector. The California Department of Justice will continue to stand up for the rights of workers to receive the benefits and protections to which they are legally entitled.” 

A copy of the Ninth Circuit court's ruling is available here.