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Crosscurrents

Will New California Legislation Make Employment More Fair In Silicon Valley?

Rich Pedroncelli
/
AP Photo
Assemblywoman Lorena Gonzalez, D-San Diego, speaks at rally calling for passage of her measure to limit when companies can label workers as independent contractors at the Capitol in Sacramento, Calif., Wednesday, Aug. 28, 2019.=

Governor Gavin Newsom, last week, signed AB5: that’s legislation that transforms the way workers are identified and get paid in California.

AB5 came out of a state supreme court ruling concerning a courier company called Dynamex. And it’s largely seen as a response to the gig economy — people driving for companies like Uber, Lyft or DoorDash who have been identified as independent contractors. That means don’t get health benefits and other rights of employment. But the law reaches into pretty much every aspect of the working world — because there are freelancers in so many industries.

Johana Bhuiyan covers the tech industry with a focus on accountability for the LA Times. She tells us how AB5 will affect pretty much all of us.

Click the play button above to listen to the full interview.

Ben joined KALW in 2004. As Executive News Editor and then News Director, he helped the news department win numerous regional and national awards for long- and short-form journalism. He also helped teach hundreds of audio producers, many of whom work with him at KALW, today.