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Corporations are taking benefits from workers by calling them "freelancers."
Temporary workers and independent contractors make up nearly a
third of the U.S. workforce and represent a growing asset to
companies who rely on freelance flexibility. But corporations are
using the designation "freelancer" to avoid paying health care and
other benefits, even though many of these workers put in the same
hours as their covered counterparts. NOW ON PBS looks at the
effect of this tactic on the lives and personal economy of
freelance workers.
NOW also examines an "Enterprising Idea" to help independent
workers manage their personal needs, including benefits, networking
and investment help. Freelancers Union, founded by former labor
lawyer and MacArthur grant recipient Sara Horowitz, provides a
safety net for more than 60,000 workers, but how is it
viewed by the traditional labor movement?
This is part of NOW's series on social entrepreneurs called
"Enterprising Ideas":
http://www.pbs.org/now/enterprisingideas.com
.
On NOW's Web site at
www.pbs.org/now , learn more
about the issue, read personal stories of freelance workers and
watch recent NOW reports of America's hard-pressed workforce.