Posted on 12/20/2019 10:19:33 AM PST by DoodleBob
California's governor on Wednesday signed sweeping labor legislation that aims to give wage and benefit protections to rideshare drivers at companies like Uber and Lyft and to workers across other industries.
The closely watched proposal could have national implications as lawmakers, businesses and unions confront the changing nature of work and the rise of the so-called gig economy.
"California is now setting the global standard for worker protections for other states and countries to follow," Democratic Assemblywoman Lorena Gonzalez, the bill's author, said in a statement.
The legislation signed by Gov. Gavin Newsom makes it harder for companies to classify workers as independent contractors instead of employees, who are entitled to minimum wage and benefits like workers compensation.
While effect on ridesharing and meal delivery companies has seized the spotlight, according to Gonzalez, it affects up to a million workers. That includes those working in the state's music industry and executives have warned the law would specifically crush the independent sector. Under the new law, producers, engineers, publicists, managers, dancers, background vocalists and others hired by artists could be defined as employees and subject to stringent employment regulations.
"Unless there is an exemption for the music industry, it will make every studio engineer, employees for whoever is hiring them," American Association of Independent Music (A2IM) president and CEO Richard J. Burgess told Billboard earlier this month. "On a practical level, I don't see how it can work."
Gonzalez told Billboard she had been meeting and discussing all year with artist unions and the recording industry on how this bill would impact the work of musicians, but that in the end the music industry could not come to a consensus on language. Instead, the groups preferred no amendmendment in AB5.
(Excerpt) Read more at billboard.com ...
They could just move out of California like any other sane person would do.
Wow is that ever effed. I certainly know a lot of people who do music gigs. Whenever you come down hard onto freedom to protect 5 people, you screw another 50 you never thought about. Does ANYBODY understand the basics of chess??
“... one can actually make a living making music”
I’m not unsympathetic toward you but making music is an art.
Most artists don’t continuously produce good work.
Therefore, it is by nature a part time job if “job” means making money doing it.
I’m starting to think this law was passed to make corporate law lawyers rich by forcing every gig employee to personally incorporate to avoid losing work.
They do...all too well I'm afraid.
“Did you really think we want those laws observed?" said Dr. Ferris. "We want them to be broken. You'd better get it straight that it's not a bunch of boy scouts you're up against... We're after power and we mean it... There's no way to rule innocent men. The only power any government has is the power to crack down on criminals. Well, when there aren't enough criminals one makes them. One declares so many things to be a crime that it becomes impossible for men to live without breaking laws. Who wants a nation of law-abiding citizens? What's there in that for anyone? But just pass the kind of laws that can neither be observed nor enforced or objectively interpreted – and you create a nation of law-breakers – and then you cash in on guilt. Now that's the system, Mr. Reardon, that's the game, and once you understand it, you'll be much easier to deal with.”
― Ayn Rand, Atlas Shrugged
Movies are gig work, right?. How does this effect Hellyweird?
Exactly - you either get the whole deal or you get nothing...
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