[Sac Bee] AB5 is a threat to California's free press

[Syriel]

AB5 is the law that would reclassify many contract workers as direct employees. It's gotten pushback from a number of industries in CA. Now it is getting pushback from the newspaper industry.

Basically, "these rules are good, but they shouldn't apply to us." Which is the same tack that has gotten other industries exempted.

If you believe newspapers play an essential role in strengthening democracy and holding powerful leaders accountable, now is the time to speak up about Assembly Bill 5. The bill, as currently written, could force many California newspapers out of business.

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That's because the bill would require newspapers to treat newspaper carriers as employees rather than independent contractors. This would disrupt and destabilize the newspaper industry at a time when accurate, credible news is most needed – and most threatened.

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By requiring newspapers to extend employee benefits and protections to all newspaper carriers, AB 5 would make newspaper delivery economically impossible. The loss of print revenue from scrapping the print edition of the paper would then deal a severe blow to both the newspaper industry's viability and mission.

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The California Newspaper Publishers Association (CNPA) has been working to insert language that would exempt newspaper carriers and freelance writers from AB 5. So far, AB 5 appears to be moving forward without any certainty on these exemptions.

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As the Santa Rosa Press Democrat editorial board put it: "Failure to exempt newspaper carriers – who have been recognized by the state as independent contractors since 1987 – could force some publications to scrap their print editions and rely solely on online publishing."

Lobbyists for other groups of workers – such as doctors, investment advisors, real estate agents and salespeople – have already received exemptions. Members of other professions, such as travel advisers, are also requesting that these new restrictions not apply to them.

"I will be out of a job if we aren't exempt," said Kelly Westbrook of Vacaville in a letter to The Sacramento Bee editorial board.

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It's a crucial topic for the Legislature to address, but the current version of AB 5 is overly broad. It's hard to evaluate the merits of the bill when it would destroy many small and medium-sized traditional businesses that have always operated on an independent contracting model.

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Source:

https://www.sacbee.com/opinion/article234517967.html

 

[zoltek]

If there is one thing that never changes/will never change when it comes to human civilization, it's Nimby-ism.

As a small business owner, I see the point they are making, but the article comes across as poor form.

 

[WedgeX]

I don't see any comments from carriers themselves, just the editorial board and newspaper lobby. Not that those are not important, but how do the actual workers feel?

The bill overall is incredibly important and needed. Trying to gain an exemption by way of calling it a threat to the Free Press feels...well.

 

[Wilf Netherton]

If paying people a decent wage for work that you're gaining a profit from is economically impossible then you shouldn't be making a profit.

 

[Damaniel]

Boo hoo. If you can't provide a service without exploiting the people who work for you, you don't deserve to exist.

 

[Syriel]

I don't see any comments from carriers themselves, just the editorial board and newspaper lobby. Not that those are not important, but how do the actual workers feel?

The bill overall is incredibly important and needed. Trying to gain an exemption by way of calling it a threat to the Free Press feels...well.

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The following industries are already exempt in the text of AB5:
* licensed insurance agents
* certain licensed health care professionals
* securities broker-dealers
* investment advisers
* direct sales salespersons
* real estate licensees
* workers providing hairstyling or barbering services
* electrologists
* estheticians
* workers providing natural hair braiding
* licensed repossession agencies who meet requirements
* those performing work under a contract for professional services, with another business entity, or pursuant to a subcontract in the construction industry

I mean, if you're going to cut a swath that wide of "exemptions" I can see why other folks would jump in with a "Me Too!" when it comes to an exemption.

 

[Septimus Prime]

I thought they would make an argument something like how carriers need to stay contractors to retain their independence from editorial oversight, but no. Just flat out "we can't afford it." Fuck that.

 

[samoyed]

"We're too important to pay our labor."

I kind of see it, it is the unfortunate result of market forces prioritizing need over social necessity.

That said I'd rather have these locals around and have them be subsidized rather than the contractors be underpaid.

I wonder what their margins are like? I can't imagine local print papers are a profitable industry.

 

[Midramble]

Soooo this is less a threat to "free press" and more a threat to cheap press?

 

[Squirrel Killer]

I thought they would make an argument something like how carriers need to stay contractors to retain their independence from editorial oversight, but no. Just flat out "we can't afford it." Fuck that.

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The mere idea that carriers need independence from editorial oversight is so absurd that now I'm disappointed they didn't make it.

 

[ChippyTurtle]

Tbf newspapers are finding it increasingly hard to survive and be profitable. Turn it into a non-profit except I'm too sure if that is gonna work either. Government ain't coming in to fund it for obvious reasons, and we see how hungry for clicks online news is.

 

[Syriel]

AB5 will also impact freelance writers.

Any writer who provides content to one publication more than 25 times per year is to be defined as an employee.

That's going to impact a number of video game sites.

It's also going to impact content mills. You won't see any writers from CA contributing to Forbes for example.

 

[brawndolicious]

I worked at a newspaper distribution company for a couple months in the summer of 2011 (South San Francisco). Even back then, paper news was dying and you could see that the warehouse was only operating at a fraction of its original capacity.

Despite lack of demand for physical newspapers and the recession at the time, they struggled to hire anybody they could find because the pay was barely above minimum wage and of course no one could be classified as a full time employee to get benefits. I think every carrier over there was an immigrant and felt they couldn't afford to complain.

It's already really expensive to get a physical subscription (~$1-$2 a day) with only maybe a quarter of that going to the carrier. If at this point in time, a newspaper is reliant on physical copies to stay afloat then they're doing something wrong. Frankly, it makes no sense to try to keep the physical newspaper delivery industry alive.