Letters to Pete: “American workers should be treated like employees, not disposable parts.”

By Brett S., NY

Every day, Pete Buttigieg receives letters from Americans who believe we need a new approach to solve our nation’s biggest challenges. This is one of them. The following letter is transcribed as it was received on March 21, 2019.

Dear Mayor Buttigieg,

I am a graphic artist and for large portions of my career I’ve been hired as a long-term freelancer or permalancer. This is a trend where workers are hired, usually at an hourly rate, for an indefinite period at a company without the rights of an employee but all the responsibilities. We have no vacations, sick days or insurance. We can’t form a union. I have no problem being hired hourly for special projects, to fill-in for sick workers or when a company needs emergency staffing but to do this indefinitely is just plain wrong.

Often companies skirt the illegality of this by having us sign up with temp agencies the duration of our employment. Treatment is also different when our employment ends. When I was laid off from Morgan Stanley (after 18 months) and Digitas (after six years) where I was employed as a permalancer I was expected to leave immediately with no severance. When I was laid off from Coach Inc. where I was a full-time employee I got severance, notice and free employment training. American workers should be treated like employees, not disposable parts. While workers can seek recourse through state departments of labor this is a slow and difficult process. A federal law would be a huge help.

What will you do to end this trend of abusing workers by keeping them indefinitely as no-benefit freelancers or independent contractors? Do you have a plan that help workers be treated as employees and not disposable parts.

Thank you and best of luck in the 2020 campaign,

Brett S.

Pete is committed to empowering workers and protecting them from misclassification. To learn more, read his plan.