Many people are asking why I oppose AB5.
I believe passionately in worker protections. That’s the very reason I founded the Workplace Equity Initiative. But AB5 does not create equity for workers in the modern economy.
The Supreme Court, in the Dynamex case, ruled and applied a decades-old law that was written when California’s economy was much different than it is today. Rather than update the law to reflect the non-binary nature of the modern economy, the legislature codified that decision.
To their credit, the legislature recognized the deficiencies with AB5, so they created exemptions for lawyers, doctors, and a variety of other professions.
The problem with this exemption-based approach is that hundreds of other good businesses and professionals don’t operate in the box created by Dynamex. As we know, this has resulted in thousands of people out of work, and businesses hiring outside of California to fill the gaps. This is devastating for workers and bad news for California.
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I’m not running to be a state legislator, nor do I have any desire to do so. But, to understand my position on an issue that has hurt thousands of creative, talented, and successful San Diegans, I’m suggesting that it would be wiser to repeal the bill and start over with an approach that protects the intent of Dynamex (to protect people whose livelihood is dependent on one employer and are being taken advantage of) without compromising the livelihoods of tens of thousands of others.
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Sincerely,
Barbara Bry
Candidate for Mayor of San Diego
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