Most defenses of gigging stem from the fact that they are a way of defending against coercive unionism. That is a good and sufficient reason to support this type of labor contract. But the case in favor of this type of labor relationship goes deeper, far deeper.
First, what, exactly, is a gig relationship? A synonym for this might be sub-contractor. The main builder of a house hires a plumber, a carpenter, an electrician for a fixed, limited amount of work The main contractor is in overall charge of all these sub-contractors, or gigsters. He pays them out of his own pocket, with revenues garnered by the sale of the house to the resident. He coordinates their activities, so that they don’t step on each other’s toes, and makes sure that too many cooks don’t spoil the broth. None of them are permanent employees of his.
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