E&W Blog

Our nation’s diverse workforce is one of the things that makes the American economy so strong. Unfortunately, as we continue to recover from the COVID-19 pandemic, the policies put in place by House Democrats and President Biden have destroyed millions of jobs and robbed workers of the flexibility to create their own work schedules by eliminating the independent contractor model.

In March, House Democrats passed the radical PRO Act, or more accurately, the #PROUnionBosses Act. This backwards-looking legislation is a Big Labor wish list that diminishes the rights of workers and forces employers to reclassify independent contractors as employees.

There are many pathways to success and not all workers want 9 to 5 jobs. Many want the freedom to choose when, where, and how they work. This is especially true for families, some of whom rely on the independent contractor model’s flexibility to balance work life with family life. Democrats fail to recognize this reality.

In response to the Democrats’ assault on the independent contractor model, the Independent Women’s Forum (IWF) launched a petition to “stop the government from destroying independent contractors’ jobs, opportunities, and freedom.”

Congressman Fred Keller (R-PA), Republican Leader of the Subcommittee on Workforce Protections, is joining this important effort. 


After signing IWF’s Independent Contractor Petition, Rep. Keller said:

“Our nation’s workforce is evolving and recovering from the economic impacts of COVID-19. Nearly 19 million workers utilize the independent contractor model, and the last thing we should be doing is eliminating options and flexibility for workers seeking to reenter the workforce.

“Democrats’ PRO Union Bosses Act does just that. It infringes on the rights of millions of freelance and gig economy workers who want the freedom to create their own schedule.

“Eliminating the independent contractor model will deny millions of workers the freedom to be their own bosses. Labor laws should expand workers’ rights, not limit their options. I am proud to sign onto IWF’s petition to protect independent contractors and the flexibility they value.”