The so-called gig economy often rests on exploiting workers by misclassifying them as independent contractors, which means they don’t get minimum wage, unemployment insurance, workers compensation, overtime pay, or other protections that regular employees are guaranteed (at least in theory). That may be about to change in California, where the state Supreme Court ruled to clarify how workers are classified last year, and the Assembly passed a bill this week tackling the issue.
If the bill becomes law, employers could only classify workers as independent contractors if they could prove that the workers truly controlled their own schedules and working conditions, weren’t doing work central to the company’s business model, and had their own “independently established” business or role. That would have huge ramifications for huge companies like Uber, Lyft, and Amazon, but would also apply to workers at many small businesses. The bill does exclude many jobs, though, such as doctors, real estate agents, lawyers, and some hairdressers.
AB 5 passed 53 to 11 in the Assembly and now heads to the state Senate. “Big businesses shouldn't be able to pass their costs onto taxpayers while depriving workers of the labor law protections they are rightfully entitled to,” tweeted Assembly member Lorena Gonzalez, one of the bill’s authors, in celebration of its passage.
● Teachers in New Haven, California, have been on strike for more than a week:
Nearly 600 teachers, counselors and nurses have been on strike since May 20, and as of Friday are asking for a 3.7 percent cost-of-living raise for the current 2018-19 school year plus a 3.26 percent hike for the coming year, based on the projected cost-of-living increase in the state.
● New Bedford, Massachusetts, charter deal is immoral:
This is an effort to destabilize labor, capitalize on real estate wheeling and dealing in the city, and continue the pursuit of gentrification as an economic strategy. This property handover and automatic enrollment into the charter school is untested and unproven, contrary to the former state education secretary’s claim that it is “effective education policy and innovation.” This deal, however, really amounts to a form of corporate experimentation on New Bedford children that is immoral.
Students who live within the charter school’s boundary are, by default, assigned to the school regardless of the schedule, the program, the philosophy of the school, the turnover of teachers, and the fact that the school is not governed by an elected school committee. Families who do not wish to enroll in the school may fill out a change of school assignment, which is subject to approval by the superintendent in consultation with the director of the charter school. Nowhere in the memorandum of understanding drawn up for the expansion plan does it stipulate that the request to opt out of the charter school and to enroll in a traditional public school will be granted.
● Two Syracuse, New York, hotels are being sued for stealing workers' tips.
● Temps outnumber full-time employees at Google, and they get second-class treatment there.
● SEIU staff escalates fight with management over union contract. That’s right, the union’s staff and the union’s management are in a dispute. It happens.
● Boston Teachers Union reaches potential contract with city after more than a year of bargaining.
● Why are Americans turning against charter schools?