Labor advocates in New York state are pushing to secure benefits and protection for gig-economy workers by setting a new standard for what qualifies as an ‘independent contractor.’ The proposed law uses an approach called the ‘ABC test’ to determine if a worker is an employee. At an unrelated press conference earlier this week, Gov. Andrew Cuomo signaled interest in redefining workers’ status. Maria Figueroa, director of Labor and Policy Research at the Cornell University ILR School’s Worker Institute, says that beyond protecting workers’ rights, the coalition’s approach is also potentially beneficial to state’s tax revenue base.
