Unions Want Bill To Stop Mis-Classification Of Workers As Contractors

[Omaha Steve]

http://www.laborradio.org/node/10741

Unions would like Congress to put an end to companies falsely classifying workers as independent contractors to avoid paying employee benefits. Jesse Russell reports.

Organized labor has many hopes for the administration of President Barack Obama. One of those issues that have flown under the radar as media focuses on the Employee Free Choice Act is the misclassification of workers. According to International Union of Bricklayers and Allied Craftworkers Local 21 President Jim Allen his union had worked closely with Obama when he was a junior Senator on pushing the legislation. Allen explained what the bill will tackle:

: Workers work for a company that misclassifies ‘em as independent contractors and by doing that they bypass all the workers comp, social security, and unemployment, they’re actually working for a contractor and at the end of the year they get a 1099. And that way they avoid all the taxes involved as workers who should pay taxes.

Allen said Obama understands the importance of the bill and now that he is President his union believes it will finally pass.

[Traveling_Home]

1. I had a job where they tried to ....

classify me as a contractor but insisted on supervising my work, setting my hours, setting my working conditions, etc.

I contacted Dept of Labor and IRS. They determined I was an employee.

The company was penalized and I got my employer match money.

Why do we need new laws?