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About The skanner. (Portland, Or.) 1975-2014 | View Entire Issue (June 13, 2018)
Page 10 The Skanner June 13, 2018 cont’d from pg 9 study found that just 0.5 percent of workers en- gaged in online gig work in 2015. A separate study by JP- Morgan Chase estimat- ed that gig workers were leveling off at about 1 percent of the workforce in 2016. More drivers, fewer construction workers There are more in- dependent workers in some industries, but they were offset in the government data by de- clines elsewhere, says Lucas Puente, chief economist at Thumb- tack, an online market- place for photographers, plumbers and other con- tractors. The number of inde- pendent contractors rose by about 200,000 in transportation from 2005 to 2017, the govern- ment’s report found. But the number of in- dependent contractors in construction fell by about 225,000 over the same period. Drive for Uber part time? You weren’t counted Puentes and some other analysts said the government’s report probably undercounted the number of people in alternative jobs. In considering wheth- er to include someone as part of the alternative workforce, it considered only a worker’s primary job. So anyone who worked at a retailer for, say, 20 hours a week and drove for Uber 10 hours a week wasn’t counted. In addition, the gov- ernment asked people only whether they’d worked independently in the past week. Given the erratic work sched- ules of many gig workers that narrowly phrased question might also have contributed to an under- count. Tax records point to more independent work Another puzzle is that tax data suggests that more Americans are self-employed as free- lancers or independent contractors, Katz said. The proportion of Amer- icans filing Schedule C forms, used for business income, has risen steadi- ly in the past decade, even while the Labor De- partment’s surveys have found that self-employ- ment has declined. Contracted out? You might not have been counted, either Katz and Krueger’s 2016 study found a sizable increase in Americans working for contracting firms — companies that provide, for example, janitorial or security services. Many economists re- gard that as a bigger con- cern than gig workers: When a company con- tracts out its services, it typically does so to cut costs through lower wages or skimpier ben- efits. Yet the government counted only a subset of contract workers — those who work for just one customer, like secu- rity guards at a specific building. It didn’t include people who work for multiple customers, such as em- ployees at a commercial laundry cleaning linen for a hotel that once did it in-house. The govern- ment wanted to avoid also counting high- er-end consultants and others who serve multi- ple companies. So what does it matter? The government’s re- port was the subject of intense interest in part because of the impact it might have on the policy debates surrounding in- dependent work. Freelance advocates say their ranks are grow- ing steadily. Many say policymak- ers should consider ways to help them, such as by making health and retirement benefits more portable from job to job. But if independent work isn’t growing much, then such chang- es aren’t as urgent. “If we don’t under- stand the labor market in the United States, we won’t have policies that reflect how it works,” said Stephane Kasriel, CEO of Upwork, an on- line freelance market- place. 6 Mayors — Including Wheeler and Durkan — Want Pot Removed From Federal List of Illegal Drugs Coalition asks for federal guidance of financial institutions and expanded access to medical marijuana Gillian Flaccus, Associated Press PORTLAND, Ore. (AP) — Mayors from six U.S. cities in states with legal marijuana said Monday they have formed a coa- lition to push for federal marijuana policy reform just days after Presi- dent Donald Trump ex- pressed support for bi- partisan congressional legislation to ease the federal ban on pot. Mayors from Denver, Seattle, Portland, San Francisco, Los Angeles, Las Vegas and West Sac- ramento — all in mari- juana-friendly states — sponsored a resolution at the U.S. Conference of Mayors in Boston that asked the U.S. govern- ment to remove canna- bis from a list of illegal drugs, among other things. It was approved unan- imously by the broader gathering Monday, Lar- ry Jones said, a spokes- man for the conference. Mayors from Oakland, California and Thorn- ton, Colorado weren’t sponsors but pledged to advocate for federal re- forms. “As mayors of cities that have successfully implemented and man- aged this new industry, we have hands-on ex- perience that can help Congress take the right steps to support other local governments as they prepare to enter this new frontier,” said Denver Mayor Michael B. Hancock, who led the coalition. “We all face common challenges.” Portland Mayor Ted Wheeler said marijuana businesses employ thou- sands of people and gen- erate millions of dollars AP PHOTO/DON RYAN News Economy A marijuana plant is shown at a commercial grow in Springfield, Ore., May 24, 2018. Mayors from six U.S. cities where marijuana is legal have formed a coalition with the aim of preparing other states and the federal government for marijuana legalization. Mayors from Denver, Seattle, Portland, San Francisco, Los Angeles, Las Vegas and West Sacramento announced Monday, June 11, 2018, on Twitter that they had sponsored the resolution. in Oregon. “Cannabis prohibition has failed. It has failed to keep our children safe, it has failed law enforce- ment, and it has especial- “ The bill supported by both parties was intro- duced June 7 and would dramatically reshape the nation’s legal land- scape for pot users and Eventually, legalization will come to every state — and we want to make sure it’s done so safely and effectively ly failed communities of color disproportionate- ly targeted and prose- cuted for low-level drug offenses,” he said in an e-mail Monday. “Eventually, legaliza- tion will come to every state — and we want to make sure it’s done so safely and effectively.” The resolution comes after Trump said he would “probably” back a bipartisan congressio- nal effort to ease a U.S. ban on the drug that about 30 states have le- galized in some form. businesses. The federal ban that puts marijuana on the same level as LSD and heroin has created a conflict with states that have legalized pot in some form, creating a two-tiered enforcement system at the state and federal levels. The legislation with four sponsors, includ- ing Republican U.S. Sen. Cory Gardner of Colora- do, would ensure states have the right to deter- See POT on page 11 TriMet Powell Garage Replacement Bid Package 2.1 Masonry, precast concrete, structural steel, miscellaneous steel, finish carpentry, waterproofing, doors/frames/hardware, flashing & sheet metal, glass & glazing, drywall & framing, flooring, fencing, gates, & parking equipment, signage, and exterior joint sealants. Bid Date: June 14, 2018 at 2:00 PM (PST) For access to the bid documents, contact Holly Snow at Holly.Snow@jedunn.com 424 NW 14th Ave, Portland, OR 97209 | (503) 978-0800 *Project DBE goals are 25%* JE Dunn is an equal opportunity employer 6-6-18
