In the latest installment of my newsletter Angling Right, I discussed my opposition to H.R. 2474, or the PRO Act of 2019.
I retired from political activism in 2016 to launch my freelance media consulting business and never looked back.
Since I’ve joined the gig economy, I’ve never been happier and more productive as a young professional. I love the freedom that comes with the territory. I love setting my own work hours on MY own terms. I especially love working with amazing people from across the country to help their branding or communication visions come alive.
This year, I’m projected to see a 50% growth in my business. But that could be taken away from me if one bill passes the House of Representatives this week.
The Protecting the Right to Organize Act of 2019 contains a provision, Section 2, that will redefine what an employee is and lump in independent contractors—freelancers like you and me—into such a classification. They are doing this to prevent “worker misclassification” at the expense of the gig economy and right-to-work laws.
This bill will do all but help gig workers or freelancers. It will put 57 million of us out of work. This is already playing out badly in California with AB 5. Let’s not have a national version, please.
What the bill’s sponsors fail to understand is gig workers and freelancers aren’t hurt or exploited in their entrepreneurial pursuits; in fact, the opposite is true.
Freelancers contribute $1 trillion to the economy, or the equivalent of 5% of the U.S. GDP. These 57 million Americans are making freelancing a viable longterm career choice, boast advanced skillsets, believe workplace freedom awards them more flexibility, and are mostly Millennials and younger Americans.
If this bill ever became law, it would be an unmitigated disaster. Urge your House members to vote NO on it.