Uber and Lyft have begun their defense of their worker classification status quo in Massachusetts by positioning themselves as technology companies that facilitate transportation rather than being direct transportation providers.

In the ongoing legal battle in Suffolk Superior Court, state prosecutors have accused Uber and Lyft of violating state law by treating drivers as independent contractors instead of employees. However, attorneys representing the ride-for-hire platforms argue that they simply connect drivers and passengers without exerting the traditional control of an employer.

During their opening arguments, the companies' attorneys emphasized the freedom that drivers have in choosing when and how much they want to work. They highlighted that drivers can set their own schedules and even switch between different platforms, which grants them a level of independence that traditional employees do not typically possess.

The lawyers for Uber and Lyft asserted that their core business revolves around the technology that enables the connection between drivers and potential riders through mobile apps, rather than the actual transportation itself. To illustrate this point, one Uber attorney drew a comparison to a travel agent. They pointed out that Uber does not own a fleet of cars or trucks, much like a travel agent does not provide transportation services directly. Instead, both Uber and a travel agent act as intermediaries, guiding customers towards available transportation options.

"But a travel agent isn't a provider of transportation," explained Michele Maryott, a member of Uber's legal team. "A travel agent is an intermediary between those who want a service and those who have a service to provide."

This argument presents Uber and Lyft as technology platforms that connect drivers and passengers, rather than being responsible for the actual transportation services provided. By likening themselves to travel agents, the companies aim to establish that they are intermediaries facilitating transportation options rather than direct providers of transportation.