LOS ANGELES — More than 50,000 ride-share drivers in California have signed union cards to join the newly established California Gig Workers Union, seeking improved pay and working conditions amid rising expenses and competitive pressures in one of the nation’s most expensive states. The union effort represents the largest push to organize the millions-strong gig workforce in the United States.

Drivers like Margarita Peñalosa, who began working for Uber and Lyft in 2017, report that the cost of driving has doubled, requiring longer hours to maintain the same level of income. Peñalosa said she now drives 12 hours a day, up from eight hours, to cover living expenses and support family abroad. Rising gasoline prices — with regular fuel averaging $6.31 per gallon in California, the highest in the country — along with expenses for vehicle payments, maintenance, and insurance have put additional strain on drivers.

Ride-share drivers operate as independent contractors rather than employees, which excludes them from standard labor protections such as minimum wage guarantees, workers’ compensation, and collective bargaining rights. Their pay is calculated per ride, not by the hour, and they are only compensated while actively transporting passengers. Time spent waiting for requests or driving without a passenger is unpaid, a factor that many drivers say reduces their effective hourly earnings significantly.

Companies set fares based on proprietary algorithms, requiring drivers to quickly assess which trips are profitable. Despite flexibility in schedules that gig work provides, drivers face challenges balancing hours and costs amid increased competition, including emerging driverless taxis.

More Democratic-led cities and states have introduced new regulations to bolster driver protections. Massachusetts certified the nation’s first union for ride-share drivers in May, followed by California a few months later. In August, Illinois enacted legislation permitting such unionization. Both California and Massachusetts now require a minimum wage for drivers based on time spent actively driving, though non-driving time remains uncompensated. Other jurisdictions, such as New York City, Washington state, and Minnesota, have adopted minimum per-mile pay rules, and Portland, Oregon, has considered capping the fee share taken by Uber and Lyft at 20%.

Drivers shoulder all vehicle-related costs, which have outpaced inflation. For example, Artur Gevorkyan, an Uber driver since 2015, reported gross earnings of roughly $1,006 for 22 active driving hours during one recent week. However, when including 30 additional hours spent online waiting for rides and considering expenses such as car payments, insurance, and gasoline, his pre-tax hourly earnings fall below California’s $16.90 minimum wage.

Uber stated its drivers in California earn more than $34 per hour while “actively working,” a figure that has increased 17% since 2019, though it did not address unpaid waiting times or expenses. Lyft declined to comment on driver pay.

Industry analytics platforms estimate average gross pay nationwide for ride-share drivers increased by 7.3% year-over-year in the second quarter but remains about 10% below 2021 levels. Notably, Uber and Lyft have not opposed unionization in California, partly due to a legislative agreement that lowered their insurance costs.