BOSTON (AP) — Drivers in Massachusetts for ride-hailing apps such as Uber and Lyft became the first in the nation Tuesday to certify a union, marking a milestone in the growing effort to organize gig-economy workers amid ongoing concerns over pay, expenses and working conditions. The victory could provide a model for similar campaigns gaining traction in states including California and Illinois, where labor organizers are increasingly targeting app-based industries as drivers also grapple with the rapid expansion of self-driving vehicle technology. Fully driverless commercial rides without a human operator are not currently permitted in Massachusetts. As drivers waved signs and chanted with the gold dome of the Massachusetts State House providing a backdrop, labor leaders described the victory as the largest private-sector organizing win since Ford autoworkers unionized in 1941. Jean Fredo, who has driven for Uber for more than seven years, said he hopes the union will bring better pay, stronger protections against sudden deactivations and more stability for drivers. “With the union, it will not feel like we’re working for nothing,” he said in French through a translator. “Now the money will not only stay in the billionaire’s pockets. The money will actually come to the workers who work very hard.” Fredo said when he started driving for Uber he appreciated the flexibility and the ability to make his own schedule while still being present for his family. But over time, he said, he found himself working longer hours while earning less as gas and maintenance costs climbed. Drivers can also lose access to the apps with little warning or recourse, he said. “I live with stress — always scared to lose my app,” Fredo said. “This is not a way to live.” Fredo said he immediately joined the organizing effort when he heard about it and