Uber said in a statement that it was happy with the ruling. One of the lawyers for the drivers, Shannon Liss-Riordan, wasn't surprised by the outcome but also said attorneys were prepared to tackle cases "one by one." Thousands of drivers are pursuing arbitration, she said.

The company, along with competitors like Lyft, has historically opposed granting employee status to its drivers over the benefit costs and higher pay that would come with it. This creates a significant barrier by preventing whole groups of drivers from pursuing improved status. If there's any consolation to workers, it's that Uber can't ignore pay completely. It still has to fend off rival services, some of whom may pay more or offer perks.