Reprinted from The Washington Post by Eli Rosenberg on September 22, 2020.
The Department of Labor released a rule proposal on Tuesday that could make it more difficult for those engaged with contract work to be classified as employees, in what labor advocates described as a potential blow to protections for workers.
Labor advocates say the proposal would raise the threshold for contract workers, which includes gig workers, to be considered employees, a category that comes with significantly more protections.
The proposed rule is the first of a multistep process with potential consequences for millions of workers.
Under the proposal, the Department of Labor — which has the power to investigate worker complaints about misclassification — said it would adopt a few guidelines to test whether workers should be considered employees or contractors. …
Keeping the Guild in the dark about whom they employ and otherwise thwarting communication amongst their employees are some of the more effective ways a non-union employer can prevent its employees from organizing. […]