Freelancers are an important part of the economy. They are capable of earning a living AND they pay their taxes. That’s not good enough for the Democrats, though. Why? Freelancers aren’t part of unions. They make the calls on their own.
And now, President Biden has backed a rule that will essentially crush freelancers to their hard-working cores.
The new rule would allow the Department of Labor to force companies to count their contractors as employees. Do you know how many companies depend on contractors? Military companies, architectural companies…even the press.
Think about it. Every writer and photographer who is a contractor would suddenly be counted as an employee. Every inspector and architect who contracts with a company for a set period of time would be an employee.
Of course, Labor Secretary Marty Walsh is trying to push this new rule as something that benefits contractors. Does it, though?
Walsh tweeted that “We believe this proposed rule will help ensure workers covered under the Fair Labor Standards Act are not deprived of the wage and hour protections they are due under law.”
What if contractors don’t want benefits? What if they don’t want overtime pay? Most contractors are doing just fine and don’t want the added oversight of being classified as an employee – which also means being subjected to more hours and more management.
Freelancers often enjoy a significant amount of flexibility – and they may work with several companies. It allows for entrepreneurship.
With the Department of Labor butting in where it doesn’t need to be, employers would no longer be able to afford using freelancers or contractors because they’ll have to start paying BENEFITS to them.
It means that the economic potential is a loss for everyone involved.
It’s not as though there are countless people picketing and begging that freelancers are made into full-time employees. There is strong opposition to this rule – and if the politicians would bother to listen, they would know this.
Democrats aren’t big on listening, though. And Biden being the puppet that he is will go along with whatever the liberals shove in front of him.
If you haven’t noticed, the gig economy is massive. Many people earn extra money by doing freelance – writing, building, driving, photographing, editing – you name it.
As Gabriella Hoffman, an award-winning writer, tweeted in response to the Department of Labor’s announcement, “The Biden administration is attempting to strip me and millions of independent contractors of our indie worker status under the false premise that we’re exploited and should be unionized employees.”
She hits the nail on the head with this comment. It’s all a false premise. No one is yelling that they’re being exploited – so perhaps the Biden administration should focus on an issue where people are yelling.
Hasn’t Biden and his lackeys done enough to damage the economy? The last thing we need is for every freelancer and contractor to be unionized.
Republicans across Capitol Hill are already pushing back on the issue.
Virginia Foxx is the Education and Labor Committee Republican Leader. She released a joint statement with Fred Keller, the Republican leader of the Workforce Protections Subcommittee. “Independent contracting is a popular work model, but the Biden administration would prefer to saddle workers and job creators with red tape instead of encouraging flexibility. Americans want the freedom and flexibility that comes with independent contracting and depriving them of such liberties is a kick in the teeth.”
Freedom and flexibility are important, yet Biden is content to strip it away – even as literally everyone affected by it is screaming not to do it.
We can’t get Republican leadership into the White House fast enough.
