Gabriella Hoffman: Let’s Continue to Fight for Freelancers

The freelance workforce saw little growth as the economy stagnated in 2022. 

In just a year, it has grown from 59 million to over 60 million It now makes up 39% of the U.S. workforce. This workforce was ranked at the 2022 State of Independence report by MBO Partners. 64.6 39.2% of the workforce, or 3.4 million people. 

Despite these incredible gains, many elected Democrats still wage war against gig workers. Why? They are dependent on powerful union special interests groups. To force workers back into 9-to-5 jobs will make it easier to forcibly unionize them. This will give workers more control and union power. 

During his Statue Of the Union address, President Joe Biden urged Congress to pass the Protecting the Right to Organize Act. He , “Pass the PRO Act because workers have a right to form a union. And let’s guarantee all workers a living wage.” 

To the dismay of the President, workers can join unions freely but they are saying no. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, the U.S.’s union workforce is in steady decline. 10.1% A majority of unionized workers are not. More workers are choosing to work freelance and non-unionized. That should be celebrated—not admonished. It’s a problem for most elected Democrats. 

Bernie Sanders (I-VT), the new Senate HELP Committee Chair and avowed socialist, is Be eager To reintroduce PRO Act in the chamber shortly.

The most recent version of the bill This contains These provisions include an ABC test which deems most workers employees, and not independent contractors; a statute that abolishes right-to-work; making union membership a condition of employment; and giving unions full access to private worker data. 

It is a terrible bill but it won’t survive a divided Congress and will not reach the desks of President Biden. This is somewhat comforting. Even the Senate–which Democrats narrowly control by a 51-49 vote–isn’t expected to pass it. The 117th Congress saw Senators Kyrsten Silena (I-AZ), Mark Kelly, and Mark Warner (D-VA), who didn’t sign up as co-sponsors for the Senate bill. They are likely to withhold their support in the future.

The Biden administration will continue to rely heavily on rulemaking through the Department of Labor to implement the PRO Act’s tenets if and when it is blocked in Congress. They introduced a new reclassification policy last fall that would allow it to be classified as an alternative. Difficult Independent contractors can freely operate.

Marty Walsh, Labor Secretary, is leaving the administration in order to start a new job with the National Hockey League Players Association (NHLPA). His new job starts next month. 

“Marty Walsh is one tough union chief,” President Biden  Make a statement. “His record at the Department of Labor is a testament to the power of putting a card-carrying union member in charge of fighting for American workers. Marty has gone to bat for working families every day, and with his help, this administration has helped workers recover from a historic economic downturn and launch a new era of worker power.”

“Through Marty’s leadership, this administration has helped unions secure a historic pay raise for rail workers, continued the fight for paid sick days for all American workers, strengthened workplace protections, and ushered in a historic surge in union organizing. He knows that unions make us all stronger, no matter what we do or where we come from,” He continued. 

However, Congressional Republicans will not let him get away with it.

Chairwoman Foxx Requested Walsh keeps records from his time at Department of Labor for supervision purposes. 

While Walsh leaves behind a blemished legacy, his presumptive successor—California Labor Secretary Julie Su–could be far more problematic for freelancers. Su is considered one of the architects of California’s disastrous AB5—the inspiration behind the federal PRO Act.

Su praised AB5 in a December 2019, Tweet: “The Employment Status Law (#AB5) is about preserving labor standards that are key to quality jobs in California. To help answer your questions, we have created this website: https://labor.ca.gov/faq/ #CaliforniaForAll.”

There is hope. Most Republicans are taking on the attacks against freelancing head-on. 

Rep. Darrell Issa, R-CA, recently Introduced House Resolution 72 emphasizes the importance and economic impact of the freelance workforce.

“With this resolution, we are standing with millions of workers, contractors, and independent freelancers and defending them from the politicians and bureaucrats determined to abolish their jobs,” Rep. Issa  In a January 31st Statement. “Dismissed by some as occasional part-timers, these creative and industrious men and women are independent by choice, fundamental to American commerce, and they need our help more than ever.”

Resolutions are mostly symbolic but they are appreciated and welcome. 

Political freelancing should not be allowed. Elected Democrats ought to wise up and join Republicans in fighting for freelancers–not fighting against the tide.

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