Thousands of drivers for ride-hailing services across Massachusetts are feeling a little more secure in the driver’s seat this week. On Tuesday, Democratic Gov. Maura Healey and labor representatives announced America’s first statewide law enabling collective bargaining and representation for gig or app-linked drivers, while still maintaining their status as independent contractors for services such as Uber and Lyft.

“For years, drivers have had no voice. We were treated like we were invisible,” a member of the new App Drivers Union told a New England television station. “Today ... we have a seat at the table.”

Like “the shot heard round the world,” this Massachusetts move might reverberate beyond the commonwealth’s estimated 70,000 drivers for ride-hailing services – to the nation’s wider gig economy of temporary jobs and side hustles. Recent studies estimate 42 million people in the United States engaged in gig work in 2025.…