The Snaring Economy 2

2 comments

1. George Smith

   December 7, 2015 at 2:59 pm

   It would have to be a significant fee backed up with significant penalties that tax and punsih the “sharing economy” owners or they’d just get around it by further using the software to disaggregate the workforce into even smaller splinters of micro-timers. Another move would be to remove the benefit of using 1099 workers, since it’s just abused. You have to pay full benefits once you employ them as more than 25 percent of your workforce. That’d end it. Plus, you’d expand the number of state and federal hires of full time workers as labor inspectors. Which would be a stimulus. You could quite your job as an Uber driver and go to work as a specialist civil servant examing Uber labor usage.

    
2. Frank

   December 7, 2015 at 11:43 pm

   I agree. “Contractor” is grossly overused. It can refer to cannon fodder for Blackwater (whatever they call themselves now), janitors, or management consultants in $1500 suits.

   I worked as a “contractor” for a while, but I worked for a decent human being doing professional work for a reasonable stipend. I loved it, but I was a professional doing professional work for professional compensation.

   My first father-in-law was a railway union (UTU) official. He would often say that unions are for persons doing “routine work” (including, in his case, railroad brakemen, conductors, baggage men, etc.). He would be adamant that gypsy cab drivers do “routine work” and hence should not be classified as contractors, but should be allowed to organize.

   Just as an aside, he paid his dues. He had stories of being shot at for being in the union. He was also one of the finest men I ever knew.