SACRAMENTO, Calif. (AP) – The ride-hailing companies Uber and Lyft say they are willing to change the way they treat drivers in California. Leaders of the rival firms said in a newspaper opinion piece Wednesday those changes would include paying a base wage and providing certain benefits. But they’ll only make those changes if California lawmakers back off a bill that would tighten the rules around how companies can classify workers as independent contractors. It would turn more workers in employees, meaning they are entitled to benefits such as unemployment. The bill’s supporters argue it is key to protecting access to some fundamental benefits. The bill’s author, Democratic Assemblywoman Lorena Gonzalez, said she won’t let “big tech” upend the social compact of work.