Fight Brewing Over Test to Determine Contractor Status

Organized labor and employers in Washington state are battling over a proposed test to determine who is an independent contractor, which could foreshadow a fight to come later this year in California. Proponents of Senate Bill 5513 and House Bill 1515 in Washington say the employment status test proposed in the companion measures would create a level playing field among employers, and ensure workers have basic protections including minimum wage, unemployment insurance and workers’ compensation coverage for occupational injuries. Opponents say the test proposed in the bill...