SD 1162, HD 2071 Legitimize Corporate Assault on Workers’ Legal Rights

(BOSTON) – The International Brotherhood of Teamsters is demanding Massachusetts lawmakers oppose SD 1162 and HD 2071. The legislation would grant multinational corporations like Uber and Lyft carte blanche to misclassify their employees as independent contractors.

“The proposed legislation would allow multibillion-dollar rideshare corporations to continue intentionally exploiting hardworking members of our communities by calling their workers ‘independent contractors,’” said Teamsters General President Sean M. O’Brien in a letter to senators and representatives on Beacon Hill. “This intentional misclassification denies workers the benefits that they deserve and gives these rideshare companies an enormous and unfair advantage against employers who properly classify their workforce as employees. The Teamsters cannot support legislation that would pit worker against worker in a race to the bottom in employment standards.”

“Instead of inventing new laws that compromise the legal rights of employees, government officials need to enforce the ones that we already have on the books,” said Thomas G. Mari, President of Teamsters Local 25. “Workers’ rights are non-negotiable – there is no ‘third way’ on this issue. The Teamsters will be keeping a watchful eye on Beacon Hill to keep track of which lawmakers understand this and which do not.”

Founded in 1903, the International Brotherhood of Teamsters represents 1.2 million hardworking people in the U.S., Canada, and Puerto Rico. Visit Teamster.org for more information. Follow us on Twitter @Teamsters and “like” us on Facebook at Facebook.com/teamsters.

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