On April 24, I sent out a letter to our members, 700+ contacts and the media about a vote on the 26^th regarding the nomination of Julie Su for Labor Secretary. Working off of information I was given, I mistakenly said the nomination was up for a vote by the U.S. Senate. Rather, it was being voted on by the Senate’s Health, Education, Labor & Pensions Committee. My apologies for the error. Nevertheless,  the Committee voted along party lines to advance Ms. Su’s nomination. Not good. And if you continue to read, you’ll see why. 

 The more hopeful news is, the U.S. Senate will have the last word and there’s still a chance to make your voices heard. If you’ve already done that, thank you. But if not, I cannot stress enough how important it is to contact the Senators mentioned below. The AB5 law in California, which Julie Su championed, has been decimating thousands of small businesses and the livelihoods of Independent Contractors. The AB5 law is now being considered by the current Administration to apply nationwide, which will devastate the economy. No doubt Ms. Su will be in full support.

Think of it: There are 60 million Independent Contractors representing over 600 professions (including writers of all stripes). Even if your job(s) won't be affected personally, this can affect you in more ways than you realize, given the likelihood that many people you may hire (or one day need) are Independent Contractors. CPAs, Realtors, lawyers, architects, caregivers, videographers, hair stylists, housekeepers, childcare professionals, pet sitters, yoga instructors, transcribers, interpreters, wedding planners, face painters, the spa and wellness community, graphic designers, truckers, landscapers, nurses -- the list is near endless. What’s more, many of the small businesses you may patronize will be forced to hire their Independent Contractors as full-fledged employees or face a crippling fine. In CA, this has wreaked havoc on small businesses, putting untold numbers out of business altogether. 

To get clear, first-hand knowledge of the destructiveness that AB5 has caused in CA, if you do nothing else, visit https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LHUI6B61OIA. Go to the :16:43 point of the video, which is when the hearing starts with opening overview statements from U.S. Representatives Kevin Kiley (R-CA) and Alma Adams (D-NC). Please pay particular attention to the 6 witnesses who spoke for 5 minutes each, including a member of Freelancers Against AB5 (at :34:15 in the video) and two members of Fight for Freelancers (at :39:21 and :59:46.) 

CALL TO ACTION: 

• Contact your U.S. Senators via the Senate website asking them to oppose this nomination.
  
• Make special calls to Sen. Mark Kelly (D-AZ), Sen. Joe Manchin (D-W.VA), Sen. Angus King (I-ME), and Sen. Krysten Sinema (I-AZ). Also call Senator Jon Tester (D-MT), who claims he doesn’t yet know how he’ll vote on Su. It doesn’t matter if you’re not from their states. They’re voting on a nominee that will affect all freelancers, and that includes you.
  
• Fight for Freelancers has put out a press release related to this, and they offer it as language you can use/massage or as a link to include in your contact.
  
• More info at https://fightforfreelancersusa.com/ 
  

Democrats, Republicans, Independents, this can and will affect everyone -- and the economic health of the U.S. over all. Please. Take action. Your voice can help make a difference.

 -- Laura Stigler