Posted on 10/11/2022 9:30:57 AM PDT by Rusty0604
The U.S. Department of Labor has published a new proposal on how workers should be classified saying that thousands of people have been incorrectly labeled as contractors rather than employees, potentially curtailing access to benefits and protections they rightfully deserve.
The reaction in markets for major gig companies was immediate. Shares of Lyft and Uber tumbled about 13%. in early trading.
The misclassification of workers has negatively impacted delivery workers, custodians, truck drivers, waiters, construction workers and more, according to the department.
“While independent contractors have an important role in our economy, we have seen in many cases that employers misclassify their employees as independent contractors, particularly among our nation’s most vulnerable workers,” said Secretary of Labor Marty Walsh in a prepared statement. “Misclassification deprives workers of their federal labor protections, including their right to be paid their full, legally earned wages.”
(Excerpt) Read more at breitbart.com ...
This will clobber small business owners and benefit the big guys. Again, the Commie Rats are helping the elites and stepping on the little guys.
Maybe I miss the main idea here, but this strikes me as more Do-Gooder stuff where they screw over the people they think they are helping.
Sort of like raising the minimum wage to $30. Would it be awesome for all the low-skill people to make decent wages?? But no one sees massive layoffs coming out of that swell idea. And in a similar fashion, it seems to me that “helping” the gig workers to be more like real employees is an idea that “sounds good” but may hurt people.
you beat me to it. Just showed up in the huffing and puffington post/yahoo newz
Don’t fall for their do-gooder rhetoric.
Uber drivers like setting their own schedules. Same with independent truck drivers.
When they pulled this in California, even wedding planners couldn’t operate.
This is all about unions and taxes and control.
Wonder if the Supreme Court ruling in last June against the bureaucrats in the EPA can work against the bureaucrats in the DOL?
The guy in the link below is suing the DOL based on: “Only Congress makes law, and Congress may not delegate that power to the Secretary of Labor, or to anyone else. This strict separation of powers is designed to protect liberty, including citizens’ freedom to run their businesses as they deem fit and the freedom of management-level employees to pursue opportunities on conditions of their own choosing.”
https://pacificlegal.org/case/doj-overtime-rule-nondelegation/
I’m surprised it took this long. They immediately repealed the Trump era rule to make contract work easier. The Secretary of Labor is a big union guy.
I think it really frosted them that taxi business was being
impacted negatively by Uber and Lift.
I suspect that was a factor behind all this.
It probably bothered them more that they hadn’t come up with
enough onerous regulations for this field yet.
Thanks for that.
A Department of Labor is commie anyway. Wages and benefits, in a free market, should be an agreement between the business and worker.
True. I should clarify what I was really thinking.
I see at least 3 basic groups here:
“Do-Gooders” — these people at the top never try to go Good. They screw people over and they know it. As you say, it’s about unions and taxes and control. The folks who put together this sort of policy do not care about “The Good”. They are good at manipulating a certain kind of individual.
Gig workers — these people aren’t dumb. They will know that this is a bad deal, and they will not want this. There are good things about being a gig worker, and they will try to hold on to what they have. They will not be manipulated.
Mindless Leftwing College graduates and other useless vermin — these people are all excited! Finally, those poor gig workers are going to get the good deal they deserve! Thank goodness for all of those beautiful Do-Gooders who are always looking out for the Little Guy! This is why I vote Democrat! This is why I hate Donald Trump.
That’s exactly what happened.
How New York Taxi Workers Took On Uber and Won
August 23, 2018
The state’s Unemployment Insurance Appeal Board ruled against Uber in July, stipulating that its drivers are employees eligible for unemployment insurance. Misclassifying drivers as independent contractors has allowed Uber and Lyft to evade payroll taxes for hundreds of thousands of drivers across the country and to cheat those drivers of overtime and minimum wage protections—not to mention the right to organize a union.
https://labornotes.org/2018/08/how-new-york-taxi-workers-took-uber-and-won
I would like to work independently and take contracts once my retirement benefits kick in. That will be well before traditional retirement age. I intend to spend a few years once that happens working 60-hour work weeks, then start curtailing downward. I am well aware that I would be on contract I am a gig worker, won’t get overtime or healthcare from the people who pay me. Don’t care and I don’t need someone making those decisions on either mine or any client’s behalf.
Not think they are helping but pretend they are helping.
What is a gig worker?
Yep, big payoff to labor.
Good for you! When I’m in Dallas I take Uber to get around. When California was considering a similar bill, I always asked the drivers what they thought. None of them liked it, they hated it! Some drivers worked Uber so they could be able to take their children to events, etc., some were doing it as a second job to save for home purchase of vacation, some were supplementing their retirement.
Things we should be able to do in a free society.
You summed that up well, thanks!
An independent person that works when and where they want to.
All I can say, is we better hope that we take back the house and senate or else they will force California Ab5 type legislation down our throat.
Interestingly enough, the article says the Biden administration blames Trump for the misclassification of independent contractors.
Most of this took place during the Obama administration. The evolution of Lyft /Uber.
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