FREELANCERS UNION BLOG

  • Community, Advocacy

Celebrate International Workers' Day by Taking Action

May Day, which commemorates the 1886 strike for an 8-hour work day that resulted in the Haymarket riot, is the perfect time for us to reflect on workers’ rights and our continued need for a collective voice. Labor has come a long way in the last century, but as the workforce has evolved (31% of the U.S. workforce is now comprised of independent workers), we still need to work together to build up protections for independent workers. One of freelancers’ greatest challenges today is the inability to collect owed wages, a situation you have likely faced yourself. We know that last year, 40% of our members were stiffed by deadbeat clients. So this May Day, do it for yourself, and do it in honor of the workers who paved the way: take the time on May 1 to sign up for our unpaid wages campaign and send an email to all of your freelance friends to do the same.