Friday, April 26, 2013

Tell NJ Assembly: Crack down on abusive employers (like FedEx Ground) now!

Someday...
New Jersey's Assembly is poised to vote on a bill that would prevent FedEx Ground from illegally misclassifying its workers as independent contractors. Please join the effort to end this abusive practice in the Garden State once and for all. By clicking on this link here, you can send an email to your representative urging him or her to vote for Assembly Bill 1578.

Here's the message the Teamsters are sending to our activists:
On Monday, Assembly members in Trenton will vote on Assembly Bill 1578, legislation that would crack down on employers who illegally misclassify drivers in the motor trucking industry. Under this practice, employers, like FedEx Ground, call their workers independent contractors despite treating them as employees. These misclassified workers are denied basic workplace rights, like protections under OSHA and the Federal Labor Relations Act, and are forced to pay out-of-pocket for all the costs of their jobs, like uniforms and equipment. And, despite being called independent, these drivers even have to ask employers for vacation time. 
These bad-acting employers get the best of both worlds; control of abused workers while saving millions of dollars in worker expenses like workers' compensation and unemployment benefits. And when these employers are allowed to cheat, they put law abiding companies at a competitive disadvantage and bring down standards for all workers. 
That’s why we need your help – we’re asking all New Jersey Teamsters to contact their Assembly members today and tell them to support Assembly Bill 1578, a bill that would crack down on those employers who are abusing their workers. Join thousands of other Teamsters today and tell your Assembly member to support AB-1578!