Today, Fight For Freelancers USA submitted this public comment, asking the Biden Administration to withdraw its delay of the new U.S. Labor Department Independent Contractor Rule. This rule should be implemented immediately to protect the majority of America’s independent contractors, who repeatedly say they want to remain independent contractors.
Press and Releases
Congress Must Protect the Choice of Independent Contractor Work
On January 27, 2021, Fight For Freelancers USA sent this letter to members of the U.S. Congress, insisting that our lawmakers protect the right of all Americans to choose independent contractor work.
Sen. Mark Warner (D-Va.) acknowledges “independent contractors are not all the same”
As reported in The Washington Post: “We know that independent contractors are not all the same — some are misclassified or would prefer to be treated as full-time employees, while others genuinely prefer to be independent contractors and use this kind of work to supplement other employment,” Sen. Mark R. Warner (D-Va.) said in a statement. “My position has simply been that a one-size-fits-all model that locks you into benefits with one employer might not work for everyone and, frankly, doesn’t work all that well right now for people that want to either try something new or start their own business. We should be testing different strategies at the local level and uncovering what works best for workers long-term.” … Read more …
Reclassifying Gig Workers is a Bad Idea
Ron Busby, president and CEO of the U.S. Black Chambers, writes in New Jersey’s Asbury Park Press: “There’s an ill-conceived notion that reclassifying these independent contractors/gig workers as employees is good for workers and for small businesses. It is not, as the good people in the great state of California demonstrated when they rejected reclassification efforts there.” … Read more …
Stop Drafting Independent Contractor Legislation without Giving Independent Contractors a Seat at the Table
As reported by Law360: “The position in the Biden plan on independent contractors is not only confusing but also seems to have ignored the position of one of the key stakeholders: the freelancers themselves. Seeking to change the test in order to curtail independent contractor relationships and instead promote the employment of freelancers appears to be out of touch with the overwhelming preference of those service providers.” … Read more …
California’s Prop 22 Victory is a Stinging rebuke of AB5, which tried to force companies using independent contractors to reclassify them as employees
As reported by NBC News THINK: “The passage of Prop 22 teaches us that if lawmakers won’t listen to the valid concerns of independent contractors the easy way, by giving us an equal seat at the table and crafting reasonable legislation that protects us along with traditional employees, they will be forced to listen the hard way, as laws like AB5 are publicly gutted at the ballot box.” … Read more …
What Uber, Lyft Prop 22 win could mean for the future of all freelance work
As reported by CNBC, “The overriding message that Prop 22 sends is that one-size-fits-all legislation which lumps all freelance professions together doesn’t work and won’t be popular with voters.” … Read more …
Public Comment on Proposed U.S. Labor Department Rule for Independent Contractors
Today, Fight For Freelancers USA submitted this public comment with regard to the U.S. Labor Department’s proposed rule for defining independent contractors under the Fair Labor Standards Act. We are grateful that USDOL is working to help us maintain our status as independent contractors.
US Senate Minority Leader Acknowledges Major Problem in PRO Act
US Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) promised freelancers in an online webinar late last week that he would listen to their concerns and work with them to find a solution for the Protecting the Right to Organize, or PRO Act (H.R. 2474), marking the first time a prominent elected Democrat has acknowledged a major problem with the bill. … READ MORE …
Many Freelancers Would Rather Quit Than Become Regular Employees
As reported in The Wall Street Journal, “Exporting California’s [AB5] approach nationwide would jeopardize creative business models that have provided so much to so many. We cannot assume that a 20th-century model still fits workers in the 21st century.” READ MORE …
