12/19/2019

Journalism Groups Sue California Over Independent Contractor Law

They feel that California Assembly Bill 5 creates unconstitutional restrictions

Just two weeks before a controversial law affecting gig economy workers is scheduled to take effect in California, the measure was challenged in court by two associations representing freelance journalists.

On Tuesday, the American Society of Journalists and Authors (ASJA) and the National Press Photographers Association (NPPA) filed a lawsuit asking a federal court to invalidate parts of California Assembly Bill 5 (AB5). The law, which goes into effect January 1, redefines who is classified as an employee in the state and extends labor protections and benefits like healthcare, overtime, and minimum wage to many workers formerly considered freelancers or independent contractors.

The law includes a specific limit on the number of articles (35) that any publisher may publish in a year by an individual freelancer before he or she must be classified as an employee. ASJA and NPPA argue that the provision is an unconstitutional restriction on free speech and a free press.

Please select this link to read the complete article from Associations Now.