{"database": "press", "table": "releases", "rows": [["https://watsoncoleman.house.gov/newsroom/press-releases/watson-coleman-reintroduces-the-gig-is-up-act-to-combat-exploitation-of-gig-economy-workers", "Watson Coleman Reintroduces The Gig Is Up Act to Combat Exploitation of Gig Economy Workers", "2021-10-22", "2021", "2021-10", "Democrat", "House", "NJ", "Bonnie Watson Coleman", "W000822", "watsoncoleman.house.gov", "watsoncoleman", "https://watsoncoleman.house.gov/newsroom/press-releases", "scraper", "Today, Congresswoman Bonnie Watson Coleman (NJ-12) reintroduced the Gig Is Up Act, which would provide unprecedented relief for gig workers. The bill would require companies that gross at least $100 million and employ at least 10,000 independent contractors to pay the full cost of both the employer and worker contributions to Social Security and Medicare.\n\n\u201cCompanies like Uber are worth billions of dollars, yet they refuse to treat their workers humanely. This is exploitation, pure and simple,\u201d said Watson Coleman. \u201cWe\u2019re seeing the start of a new American labor movement, and gig workers are demanding the same level of dignity being called for by traditional employees. I support them in this struggle. I\u2019m proud to reintroduce a bill that would provide gig workers with some financial security and let them work with dignity.\u201d\n\n\u201cFor too long, large companies and multinational corporations have taken advantage of workers based on their classification as independent contractors,\" said Congresswoman Jan Schakowsky. \"Today we say the gig is up! I am proud to join my friend and colleague Congresswoman Bonnie Watson Coleman in introducing the Gig is Up Act to ensure that companies prioritize people over profits by paying workers fair compensation and providing the benefits that they have earned.\"\n\n\u201cFor too long billion-dollar companies have profited off the backs of gig workers struggling to make ends meet, especially as many took unprecedented risks to try and do so amid the COVID-19 pandemic,\u201d said Congresswoman Rashida Tlaib. \u201cWe\u2019ve waited long enough for such companies to put people before profits. It\u2019s time to compel them to so that gig workers are given the same opportunity to thrive as any other worker in this country. That\u2019s why I couldn\u2019t be prouder to cosponsor Congresswoman Watson Coleman\u2019s reintroduction of this critical piece of legislation.\u201d\n\n\u201cFor more than a year, gig workers have been on the front lines of the pandemic, helping us shop, get takeout, or drive us to where we need to be. But the multibillion dollar companies who pay these workers have gotten away with earning billions of dollars in extra revenue by not classifying them as employees. That is wrong,\u201d said Congressman Mark Pocan. \u201cThis bill rectifies this wrong and reclassifies these gig workers to earn their fair share.\u201d\n\n\"Gig workers have helped grow small businesses into major companies, yet they are denied basic employee benefits,\u201d said Congressman Andr\u00e9 Carson. \u201cThat's why I cosponsored the Gig is Up Act, to hold these corporations accountable and ensure gig workers have the protections and benefits they have earned. As our workforce and our economy change, we must continue to demand that every hard-working American is given the tools they need to succeed and get ahead.\"\n\n\u201cIt is unfair to saddle workers with their employers\u2018 tax bill simply because they are classified as gig or contract labor,\u201d said Congressman Ra\u00fal Grijalva. \u201cThis has become just another way for corporations to evade taxes by forcing workers to foot the bill. It\u2019s time for corporations to pay their fair share, and to provide 1099 workers and their families with needed relief and security.\u201d\n\nUnder current law, gig workers must pay both the employer and worker contributions of their Social Security and Medicare, while traditional workers only pay the worker contribution. By requiring large companies to pay both gig workers\u2019 employer and worker contributions, the Gig Is Up Act would incentivize these companies to classify workers as employees, rather than independent contractors.\n\nSocial Security Works, an independent organization focused on protecting the Social Security program and those who receive benefits, has endorsed the bill.\n\n\"Social Security Works is proud to support the Gig is Up Act. This legislation takes much-needed steps to hold corporations accountable for exploiting their workers by misclassifying them as independent contractors,\u201d said Executive Director Alex Lawson. \u201cBy requiring these corporations to pay their fair share into Social Security and Medicare, the Gig is Up Act ensures that workers will receive their earned benefits. Thank you Rep. Watson Coleman for fighting for working people!\"\n\nThe bill was first introduced in 2019 by then-Congresswoman Deb Haaland (NM-01). Haaland now serves as the U.S. Secretary of the Interior.\n\nThe Gig Is Up Act is cosponsored by Reps. Andre Carson (IN-07), Jan Schakowsky (IL-09), Rashida Tlaib (MI-13), Eleanor Holmes Norton (D-DC), Raul M. Grijalva (AZ-03), Barbara Lee (CA-13), Jared Huffman (CA-02), Mark Pocan (WI-02) and Jahana Hayes (CT-05).", 1, "2026-03-30T01:40:41Z", "2026-04-06T20:24:51Z"]], "columns": ["url", "title", "date", "year", "month", "party", "chamber", "state", "member_name", "bioguide_id", "domain", "scraper", "source", "date_source", "text", "has_text", "collected_at", "updated_at"], "primary_keys": ["url"], "primary_key_values": ["https://watsoncoleman.house.gov/newsroom/press-releases/watson-coleman-reintroduces-the-gig-is-up-act-to-combat-exploitation-of-gig-economy-workers"], "units": {}, "query_ms": 0.7185470312833786, "source": "dwillis/congress-press", "source_url": "https://github.com/dwillis/congress-press", "license": "MIT", "license_url": "https://github.com/dwillis/congress-press/blob/main/LICENSE"}