This is an automated archive made by the Lemmit Bot.
The original was posted on /r/antiwork by /u/IndividualRough2837 on 2024-05-05 01:48:45.
People on here might be more familiar with this than me, but I wanted to try and get this out there so more people can be aware of it if they weren't. Links to everything at bottom.
To understand why Mike is garbage person and what he is talking about I'm going to give a little background on who and what.
Mike Rowe the "Dirty Jobs" guy that a lot of us grew up with is a dirty person. He is a conservative, which isn't inherently bad, even when it mostly is. He is staunchly antiunion and lobbies for antiunion practices, so also inherently antiworker. He also believes that when you work for a company the company should come first, you and your feelings along with your needs and wants shouldn't get any consideration. The worst part is he is anti safety, he specifically thinks your safety is only your responsibility and not the company you are working for. You can find everything is feels a employee should be at the link below that takes you to the SWEAT Pledge.
The PRO Act is legislation that amends the National Labor Relations Act, and it has passed the house and is apparently actively being looked at right now hence the ads. Its legislation that will give workers and unions more collective bargaining power, a example is in right to work states where unions would be able to protect employees from being fired for no reason(if you don't know what right to work is google it, Its bad. [cont. at bottom]). It also reclassifies what a employee is, to my understanding if you work mostly for the same company and they tell you what to do and you don't regularly contract for other companies you will be classified as a employee of said company. Those are the small tidbits to just frame this.
This is the part where I trash Mike. He is running 10 min long ads on YouTube preaching that the PRO Act is anti independent contractor, and will harm innocent people that don't want to be bothered. I assume most of the people here are aware that some independent contractor positions are scams, depending on the field most of them can be scams. Such as most truck driving positions, where companies have scammed people into becoming a "independent contractor" to avoid both unions and that person being classified as a employee. If you weren't familiar now you are. The PRO Act amends a part that specifically targets contractors that work for the same company almost exclusively. There are multiple criteria that one must meet in order to be classified as a employee, its the ABC test. If there is any independent contractor that solely relies on a single company they aren't independent, they are a employee. When you only work for one company and not as a freelance contractor which does have benefits, being classified as a employee gives you more protection. If you aren't making enough money to make up the difference that being a employee would get you, then you are being scammed. There are costs that you have to specifically cover, normally a employer helps you cover most if not all of these things aside from taxes. To make up the difference to get even with the company you have to fully cover your own insurance, every kind of tax, retirement, buying and maintain your tools and equipment. That's a lot of money, insurance can be 400-500 alone.
This might be poorly written and I might have used wording that could be changed, but I'm sick right now. I was in bed watching YouTube when the ad came on and it pissed me off. Mike is a douche and the fact that he was railing against a piece of legislation made me google it. Turns out from what I read, which was not the entire bill, its pro worker and pro union. There is probably more in the bill that could be considered bad just like omnibus bills but the only thing being reported on is the these few worker aspects. So I wanted to let people know and try spread awareness that Mike is a colossal douche and that this bill is good, even if its only good because Mike doesn't like it.
Regarding the right to work and what I know and my opinion on it. Its legislation that would passed by companies lobbying that give companies the ability to fire anyone for no reason, not any reason. There are still protected classifications that you cant put on the you were fired for, such as the color of your skin. But that's the point of the bill, it lets them just say your fired and you have no recourse. It works the other way to, which is where the mostly came from. It allows you to just walk out of your job regardless of reason and they cant do anything unless you broke contract or a law.
Ps: Most of this is either stuff I looked up and am parroting and/or know, so there is probably things I got wrong and/or partly wrong. The point still stands and do your own research if you want more details.
Mike Rowe
The stupid ad that pissed me off
PRO Act
ABC Test
Edit: formatting
He's a charming dude who is excellent at relating to workers of all stripes which only makes it more infuriating that he's such a dipshit.