To be clear: #AB5 was a broad labor bill codifying a test created for CA by our Supreme Court. It was not (nor was the decision) about any one profession. Any reference to specific professions was by request of those industries to provide clarification and flexibility. 1/
It wasn’t a decision or a bill solely aimed at the gig economy. Although there is massive misclassification in the gig economy. It certainly isn’t a bill aimed at freelancers. The exemptions provided added more flexibility than the decision for writers/photographers, not less. 2/
We spent over a year meeting with hundreds of industries, working Californians, unions, worker groups, and academia/researchers. Not writing the bill would have meant the ABC test would apply to every single employment situation, without flexibility. 3/
It was passed (by over 2/3 of both houses) and signed by the Governor in September. The law is set to go into effect on 1/1/20, and no changes can be made before then. In reality, the ABC test has been California law since April 2018 because of Dynamex. 4/
I know that this law, like all laws, is imperfect. I obviously do not want to ruin anyone’s current situation. We will continue to meet with folks & monitor implementation in the beginning of the year. There will be a part 2 of the bill. We said this last year. 5/
For example, we were hopeful that language could be worked out for the music industry, between the industry and the coalition of entertainment unions. We committed to writing that in once it is finalized. We also are working on rural healthcare providers, and a few others. 6/
I will continue to work with freelancers, the industry & unions that represent writers to see if there are further changes that should be made, especially for digital quick jobs. But, this won’t get resolved just on twitter. And it can’t happen before January. 7/
I’m an elected official that tries to be as approachable& accessible as possible. I am truly sorry if you don’t like this law, especially if it causes fear of job loss or anxiety in general. Labor law and big structural change is hard. Let’s keep working to get it right. 8/8
