Letters to the Editor: AB 5 has been a disaster for freelance workers. Fix it, Assemblywoman Gonzalez

To the editor: What planet was Assemblywoman Lorena Gonzalez (D-San Diego) on when she stated that the intent of Assembly Bill 5, which she wrote and championed, has never been to end the use of independent contractors?

If that was not her intent, then why isn’t she doing something to end the chaos and loss of work caused by her “good intentions”?

I am a freelance musician and have lost work because of this bill, and news reports abound of theaters and other venues using recorded music instead of their previously employed live orchestras because they cannot afford to comply with the new law. Our world was fine the way it was.

This whole situation needs to be rethought one industry at a time, or the law should be thrown out altogether.

Les Benedict, Reseda

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To the editor: There is a simple, straightforward way to deal with the issue of employees versus independent contractors, but it not something that the politicians or labor unions want to be considered.

The answer: Let the worker decide. It removes the angst for small employers, eases the business pressure to hire, and assures that the worker gets treated fairly. Just make sure the law protects the worker from undue pressure by the company.

Forcing me, a software developer, to be an employee instead of a contractor is just wrong. Let the worker decide. No one gets harmed, and the whole exemption process can be thrown away.

Michael J. Wolfstone, Chino