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Contract Workers Are Seen As Peripheral and Unimportant

by | Apr 14, 2016 | AFL-CIO, Uncategorized

The “gig economy,” with its fast-and-loose approach to on-demand services, is full of innovation and productivity—and some serious exploitation of part-time, contingent workers and independent contractors, according to an article from the American Federation of Teachers.

In a policy statement passed Feb. 24, the AFL-CIO executive council outlines how the U.S. workforce can have a creative and flexible marketplace and still maintain rights and protections for the increasing number of people in the contingent workforce.

Many contract workers, in industries from auto mechanics to engineering, are likewise seen as peripheral and unimportant.

“Every worker who meets the basic definition of ’employee’ should enjoy all of an employee’s legal rights and protections,” says the AFL-CIO statement.

National GIG believes that when workers feel secure in their jobs, everyone benefits. People feel safe to be more creative and productive. We applaud the AFL-CIO’s policy and its rich history in labor rights.

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