Posts tagged gig workers
As PRO Act Stalls, US Labor Department Rethinks Status of Independent Contractors
July 7, 2022 // “Only a handful of people asked the department to change the rule, and most of them weren’t even independent contractors,” according to Fight For Freelancers cofounder, Jen Singer. “They were union organizers or union members who wouldn’t be affected by any rule change.” Lorena Ortiz-Schneider, founder of CoPTIC America, noted that of the 350-plus attendees of the employer’s panel, the 44 participants who spoke up were mostly small business owners. virtual public forums, American Translators Association, AB 2257, Bill Rivers, Federal Register
Fraud had ‘significant’ role in $163 billion leak from pandemic-era unemployment system
May 30, 2022 // More than $163 billion in benefits likely leaked from the unemployment system during the pandemic, with a “significant portion” attributable to fraud, according to a U.S. Department of Labor report.
Who’s the Real Author Behind Seattle’s “PayUp” Legislation?
May 19, 2022 // One illuminating display of Wilson’s influence was an October 2021 letter sent by Councilmember Herbold to several gig companies. In the letter, she scolded the representatives for their concerns with the PayUp legislation: “I’m disappointed that you’ve not expressed the depth of, nor raised all your issues during our weekly calls.”
ARE PRIVATE SECTOR UNIONS PASSÉ?
May 5, 2022 // Union membership is way down, and their collective future is not rosy.
The Employee Rights Act Puts American Workers, Not Union Bosses, in the Driver’s Seat
April 13, 2022 // The Employee Rights Act contains several other provisions to protect workers from union intimidation. The bill criminalizes union threats in the workplace and bans unions from using personal employee data for anything unrelated to campaigns, taking Big Labor’s most aggressive and unethical tactics off the table. The bill also prohibits union “salting,” a tactic where a union pays an individual to apply for a job within a company that has not yet been unionized. Instead of becoming a productive employee, the “salt” is there to organize a union and be Big Labor’s mole on the inside.
To Help Workers, Unions and Democrats Should Support Scott’s ERA
April 13, 2022 // The ERA’s policies are wildly popular. Recent polling shows that 70% of those polled – including 76% of individuals in union households – believe that workers should have the right to a secret ballot. Other major provisions – including the right to withhold dues from political spending, privacy protections, and the criminalization of union threats – poll at an average favorability of 70%.
Senators Introduce Employee Rights Act of 2022
March 25, 2022 // The Employee Rights Act of 2022 is also co-sponsored by Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions Committee Ranking Member Richard Burr (R-North Carolina), Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Kentucky), and Senators John Thune (R-South Dakota), John Barrasso (R-Wyoming), Mike Braun (R-Indiana), Roger Marshall (R-Kansas), Jerry Moran (R-Kansas), Tommy Tuberville (R-Alabama), Jim Risch (R-Idaho), John Cornyn (R-Texas), Steve Daines (R-Montana), Cynthia Lummis (R-Wyoming), Cindy Hyde-Smith (R-Mississippi), Bill Hagerty (R-Tennessee), John Boozman (R-Arkansas), Roger Wicker (R-Mississippi), Thom Tillis (R-North Carolina), Kevin Cramer (R-North Dakota), Mitt Romney (R-Utah), Tom Cotton (R-Arkansas), Jim Inhofe (R-Oklahoma) and Ron Johnson (R-Wisconsin). Representative Rick Allen (R-Georgia) is introducing companion legislation in the U.S. House of Representatives.
Opinion: Time for a Law That Puts Workers, Not Unions, First
March 25, 2022 // The Employee Rights Act of 2022, unlike Biden’s PRO Act, encourages innovation and job flexibility.
Gig Economy May See Tougher Contractor Rule After Court Victory
March 18, 2022 // “If David Weil were to be confirmed, there’s little doubt as to how he feels about the independent contractor issue with respect to the AI that he issued,” Lotito said. While the agency’s day-to-day work under acting administrator Jessica Looman doesn’t depend on a Senate-confirmed leader, the absence of a permanent administrator can slow down the agency’s ability to advance large policy changes.
CWI APPLAUDS FINAL INDEPENDENT CONTRACTOR RULE
March 16, 2022 // The Department’s first of its kind final rule modernizes the “economic realities” test to define whether a worker should be classified as an independent contractor. The Coalition for Workforce Innovation (CWI) strongly supports the final rule as an important step in providing needed clarity to businesses and independent workers in structuring and maintaining their relationships.