Assembly Bill 5, an unmistakable gift to labor unions from the California State Legislature, which saw the surge of independent contract workers as a source of easy money if they could be organized, set off more outrage than any California law in memory. Thousands lost their jobs because AB5 essentially outlawed gig work. While the losses are largely confined to California, the war on jobs isn’t. Lawmakers elsewhere are also coming for freelance workers.
Legislatures in at least four states – New York, New Jersey, Illinois, and Washington – have introduced laws similar to AB5. Massachusetts has had a comparable law on the books since 2004, but “it has not been fully enforced,” according to the American Society of Journalists and Authors. However, it appears pressure is building for the state to crack down on worker choice.
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