I’ve been a contract graphic artist and Freelancers Union member since 2004. I’ve collected each cent owed to me, however not on time or with out preventing. Different unbiased contractors haven’t been as fortunate. Shoppers who don’t pay unbiased employees rob New York State’s financial system of hundreds of thousands. The Freelance Isn’t Free Act will change that. I lobbied with the Freelancers Union twice in Albany for earlier variations of it, which didn’t move, and supported the laws in New York Metropolis, the place it’s now the legislation. The excellent news is that the Meeting and Senate handed it this 12 months. We want Governor Hochul to signal it to provide self-employed employees the authorized protections that conventional ones have already got and strengthen the financial system.
How a lot cash is at stake?
A 2009 Freelancers Union examine estimated that New York State’s self-employed by no means collected $965 million in wages, and their restoration would generate $323 million in tax income. These could be $1.375 billion and $460 million immediately.
Wage theft from unbiased employees hurts everybody in New York State by means of misplaced tax income and decreased consumer spending. Individuals who don’t gather their earnings don’t pay taxes and may’t purchase issues.
Why is that this taking place?
There’s a grey space between the maximum quantity you possibly can sue for in small claims court docket and what you possibly can recoup in common court docket. Suing for $6000 will price extra in authorized and different charges, so the freelancer provides up. Firms know and benefit from this.
This laws will increase the Labor Legislation and permit unbiased contractors with a written contract to report shoppers who don’t pay to the Division of Labor, which might get them organized to pay double the quantity owed. It should make retaliation towards the reporting employee unlawful. The DOL will present free mannequin contracts.
What can I do?
Please name Governor Hochul at 1-518-474-8390—phoning has extra influence than writing—and inform her to enact this legislation to guard freelancers and profit New York State.
Right here’s a pattern script:
Hello, my title is _____________, from [City], NY, [Zip]. I’m calling Gov. Hochul to ask that she signal Senate Invoice S5026 / Meeting Invoice A6040, the Freelance Isn’t Free Act, to guard employees like me from shoppers who don’t pay us for the work we now have accomplished, carry earnings tax income to the state, and strengthen the financial system by means of elevated consumer spending. [Personalize: I’m a freelance photographer, independent contractor, accountant, etc.] and know this legislation will power shoppers to pay to keep away from penalties. Thanks, Governor Hochul, for safeguarding New York’s unbiased employees.
Your name will assist forestall wage theft, assure unbiased employees the identical protections as conventional ones, carry tax income to NY State, and enhance consumer spending. As soon as this ground-breaking legislation is handed in NY, different states will comply with. We aren’t simply artists. We’re home cleaners, landscapers, bookkeepers, and we don’t work without cost. Thanks for serving to us get paid pretty and produce hundreds of thousands to New York State!