Uber has become a household name due its innovative approach to providing cheap and reliable taxi and car services through its mobile and Smartphone app that connects drivers with passengers. It represents a work model wherein anyone can become gig workers and freelancers without having to give up their day job. However, the gig economy is also a model where the workers do not receive health, social security, pension benefits, paid leave or time off for medical reasons. Many believe this is no different from the colonial model of worker exploitation where hourly wages and per task payment is the norm, without annual bonuses and long-term benefits. Unlike traditional jobs where employers tend to take a long-term view of worker performance, gig work is a ruthless and competitive scene where someone is only as good as their latest gig and there are no laws that protect worker’s rights.

Advocates claim our labor laws have not kept pace with the changes in our society. They say many Americans are denied workplace protections because their employers inappropriately classify them as independent contractors. They claim this prevents millions of exploited American workers from negotiating better working conditions or assuring safe and healthy work environments. In 2018, there were 10.6 million workers, or about 7% of all American workers, who were independent contractors.

Pending Legislation: H.R.5348 - Protecting Independent Contractors from Discrimination Act of 2023
Sponsor: Del. Eleanor Holmes Norton (DC-At Large)
Status: House Committee on Education and the Workforce
Chair: Rep. Virginia Foxx (NC)