I second Stephany Wilkes’ concerns about the PRO Act. I’ve been an independent contractor and union member for three decades. I’ve rarely met a union activist outside of my immediate circle or a legislator who understood a darn thing about the work life of independent workers. Or respected us. The spectacle of unions and legislatures drawing up rules for us to live and work by fills me with anger and dismay.
The great majority of us are fine; we’re not gig workers. We’re grateful for the pandemic relief money, but we don’t want your jobs. In fact, we hire 20% of the employed.
If you want to help us, mandate the standard worker benefits to cover us. Ban the most exploitative clauses in our contracts. Simplify work-for-hire rules for independent creators of intellectual property.
Just don’t let people ignorant of our work and our lives make rules about us.
Want to help independent contractors? Mandate standard worker benefits
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In summary
The spectacle of unions and legislatures drawing up rules for independent contractors fills me with anger and dismay.
By Mike Bradley, Oakland
Re “Rely on IRS rules for contract workers, not the ABC test of AB 5”; Commentary, March 19, 2021
I second Stephany Wilkes’ concerns about the PRO Act. I’ve been an independent contractor and union member for three decades. I’ve rarely met a union activist outside of my immediate circle or a legislator who understood a darn thing about the work life of independent workers. Or respected us. The spectacle of unions and legislatures drawing up rules for us to live and work by fills me with anger and dismay.
The great majority of us are fine; we’re not gig workers. We’re grateful for the pandemic relief money, but we don’t want your jobs. In fact, we hire 20% of the employed.
If you want to help us, mandate the standard worker benefits to cover us. Ban the most exploitative clauses in our contracts. Simplify work-for-hire rules for independent creators of intellectual property.
Just don’t let people ignorant of our work and our lives make rules about us.
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