It’s September, which means kids back in the classroom, legislators back in Albany, and Freelancers Union … turning up the heat on our Get Paid, Not Played campaign after a summer of behind-the-scenes groundwork. As you know, the Freelancer Payment Protection Act is historic, groundbreaking legislation that will give protection and legitimacy to independent workers. It will allow freelancers to file claims with the Department of Labor when their clients don’t pay, rather than being forced to sue or walk away. The support we’ve seen on this campaign from our members is exactly what we mean when we talk about creating “power in politics.” Over the past few months, Freelancers Union members have come together, contributing time, shoe leather, dollars, and ideas to ensure the bill becomes a law this fall. Where our campaign’s been so far:

• May: Freelancers took New York’s capitol by storm, meeting with dozens of Albany policymakers to ask for their support for the Freelancer Payment Protection Act.
• June: those policymakers brought our bill to a vote in the Assembly – where it passed! The Senate version didn’t come up for vote, however.
• July: Having learned more about our bill’s opposition, we began working on new arguments, ideas, and potential allies to help get it passed.
• August: Members created tools and resources to help freelancers deal with client nonpayment, and by the end of August the Client Scorecard, Contract Creator, and Get Paid, Not Played resources were all born.
  So what now?
• There’s a chance the Senate may come back to Albany before the end of this year’s session, so we want to make sure we’ve done everything we can to give our bill a chance of going up for a vote and passing.
• We’re reaching out to 8 key Republicans whose support can help us get a majority in favor of the bill. In fact, we’ve already won a new ally – Senator Roy McDonald signed on as a sponsor just this week.
• Members are phonebanking, lobbying, petitioning, and writing letters-to-the-editor to drum up support in their districts among our target policymakers.
  Expect to hear lots more from us in the coming weeks as we get our bill back to Albany. Help heat things up during this critical season by petitioning and postering in key neighborhoods. Sign up now to get in early on the action. Here’s to putting a stop to deadbeat clients this fall, and to the ongoing support, strength, and power of our members who are joining us on this important issue.