Press Releases
Teamsters Call on Mass. Lawmakers to Vote Down Worker Misclassification Bill
Legislation Undermines State, Federal Standards for Determining Employment Status
Press Contact: Matt McQuaid Phone: (617) 894-0669 Email: mmcquaid@teamster.org
(BOSTON) – The Teamsters are calling on Massachusetts lawmakers to vote against H.1099/S.666, legislation that paves the way for the expansion of worker misclassification throughout the Commonwealth.
“We should not be changing our laws in support of greedy corporations that want to deny full employment rights to workers in a so-called ‘gig economy,’” said Teamsters General President Sean M. O’Brien. “FedEx, Amazon, Uber, Lyft, and so many other wealthy companies intentionally misclassify workers as independent contractors to sustain business models rooted in wage theft. Workers are either employed by a company or they aren’t. There is no ‘third way.’ Silicon Valley CEOs believe they don’t have to comply with the law, that they can deny rights to workers in the name of freedom and flexibility. Our laws must reinforce their responsibility to their employees.”
The bill tacitly legitimizes misclassification of professional drivers by providing a small portion of collective bargaining rights that workers should already have under federal law. In doing so, the bill undermines a Massachusetts law that applies a three-tiered approach (the “ABC” test) for determining employment status. H.1099/S.666 also conflicts with new, pro-worker standards from the Department of Labor, effective March 11, that outline fair and unequivocal distinctions between employees and independent contractors.
“There’s already a law that gives workers collective bargaining rights. It’s called the National Labor Relations Act and it’s almost 90 years old,” said Tom Mari, Secretary-Treasurer of Teamsters Joint Council 10. “Passing H.1099/S.666 paves the way for more misclassification and potentially jeopardizes enforcement efforts against employers who refuse to comply with the ABC test. Lawmakers should not compromise with lawbreakers. Kill these bills.”
Founded in 1903, the International Brotherhood of Teamsters represents 1.3 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.