The GigReporter
Our insights and perspective on industry topics and trends.
THE PUSH TO CLARIFY JOINT EMPLOYER STANDARDS
12 Feb
Bloomberg Law reports[1] that business lobbyists, especially for franchisors, are pushing the new Republican majorities in Congress to enact legislati...
Read More >Opposition Letter to the Labor Secretary Nomination for Lori Chavez-DeRemer
04 Feb
SCI continues its advocacy efforts for the Last Mile Industry. SCI recently lobbied for the “Right to Work” in the Last-Mile Courier Industry by stron...
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CALIFORNIA CLEAN TRUCK CHECK REQUIREMENTS HAVE COME INTO FORCE
31 Jan
Clean Truck Check regulations were approved by California regulatory bodies in 2021 and have now come into force. The owners of certain vehicles must ...
Read More >NYC DELIVERY COMPANIES’ PAIN FROM CONGESTION PRICING WILL BE FELT BY EVERYONE.
14 Jan
New York City’s ambitious congestion pricing plan, aimed at reducing traffic and improving air quality, took effect on January 5th, 2025. This change ...
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CALIFORNIA APPELLATE COURTS CLASH OVER “HEADLESS” PAGA ACTIONS DESIGNED TO SKIRT ARBITRATION
08 Jan
The strategy used by litigants to get around arbitration under PAGA may come to an end. California’s appellate courts issued conflicting decisions las...
Read More >NEVADA FALSE CLAIMS ACT CASE ABOUT LYFT INDEPENDENT CONTRACTORS ALLOWED TO PROCEED EVEN WITHOUT FALSE STATEMENTS
10 Dec
On September 30 of this year a federal court in Nevada denied a motion to dismiss a state False Claims Act case alleging Lyft, Inc. had fraudulently m...
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NEW YORK CITY CONGESTION PRICING TO BEGIN JANUARY 2025
10 Dec
Congestion pricing, additional motor vehicle tolls are set to go into effect in early 2025 in parts of Manhattan. Originally set to go into effect ear...
Read More >UNQUALIFIED EX-REPRESENTATIVE LOBBYING FOR LABOR SECRETARY POSITION
27 Nov
The Competitive Enterprise Institute reported1 that Congressional Representative Lori Chavez-DeRemer (R-OR) is lobbying to be nominated by President-E...
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NINTH CIRCUIT TO DECIDE OOIDA’S AB5 CHALLENGE
15 Nov
Overdrive reports[1] that the Owner-Operator Independent Drivers Association’s (OOIDA) lawsuit against California’s AB5 independent contractor law is ...
Read More >FEDERAL REQUIREMENTS FOR FILING BENEFICIAL OWNERSHIP INFORMATION GO INTO EFFECT THIS YEAR; NY LLC REPORTING TO START IN 2026
07 Nov
The Corporate Transparency Act (“CTA”) was passed by the United States Congress at the beginning of 2021 as part of that year’s defense appropriations...
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CALIFORNIA JOINS MUNICIPALITIES ENACTING INDEPENDENT CONTRACTOR REGULATIONS
25 Oct
Over the past few years several states and municipalities have introduced new laws governing the hiring of individual independent contractors, and Cal...
Read More >DISNEY ARBITRATION FIASCO SHOWS NEED FOR COHERENT BUSINESS AND LEGAL STRATEGIES
01 Oct
Legal remedies don’t exist for their own sake, but to serve the needs of people and businesses. Seeking maximal enforcement always may lead to public ...
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WHITE HOUSE PLANS NEW RESTRICTIONS ON SMALL CLOTHING IMPORTS
23 Sep
The Journal of Commerce reports[1] that the Biden administration has announced plans for new rules restricting the imports of apparel and textiles fal...
Read More >EQUAL PROTECTION CHALLENGE TO AB5 APPEALED TO SUPREME COURT
17 Sep
California’s AB5 bill, setting forth a strict independent contractor/employee test for many businesses, has been subject to a constitutional challenge...
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LARGEST NYC TAXI INSURER IS INSOLVENT
09 Sep
American Transit Insurance Co. (ATIC) is the largest insurance provider for taxis, black cars, app-based rideshare drivers, and other livery services,...
Read More >REVISED NY FREELANCE ISN’T FREE ACT GOES INTO EFFECT AUGUST 28
28 Aug
SCI reported last year on the New York State Freelance Isn’t Free Act, originally scheduled to take effect this May. Since then, a new version has bee...
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ARBITRATION DENIED OVER ILLUSORY CONTRACT, ILLUSTRATING DANGER OF NO-NOTICE AT-WILL CHANGE CLAUSES
26 Aug
The hardware retail giant Lowe’s recently lost a motion to compel arbitration when the trial court found the contract at issue was illusory. This case...
Read More >FEDEX CONSOLIDATION CREATES RECRUITING OPPORTUNITIES
20 Aug
The Wall Street Journal reported[1] that national delivery giant FedEx continues to consolidate its Ground and Express networks into a single channel....
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“NUCLEAR VERDICTS” ON THE RISE
15 Aug
Jury verdicts in personal injury and wrongful lawsuits involve subjective, noneconomic damages such as pain and suffering, loss of consortium, and som...
Read More >Sole Proprietors Should Consider Forming a LLC
14 Aug
Why Sole Proprietors Should Consider Forming an LLC If you're an owner/operator just starting out or currently performing deliveries as a sole proprie...
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DEMANDS FOR ARBITRATION JUST GOT HARDER AS COURT BROADENS TRANSPORTATION WORKER EXEMPTION
05 Aug
The argument that individuals do not qualify for the Federal Arbitration Act (FAA) transportation worker exemption because their work is too separate ...
Read More >CALIFORNIA SUPREME COURT UPHOLDS CONSTITUTIONALITY OF APP DRIVER EXCEPTIONS TO ABC TEST
02 Aug
The California Supreme Court recently issued its opinion in Castellanos, et al. v. State of California, et al., No. S279622 (July 25, 2024), upholding...
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BUSINESS-TO-BUSINESS CONTRACTS NOT SUBJECT TO FAA EXEMPTION
01 Aug
A case from the United States District Court for the District of Connecticut has proven the continuing viability of the argument that business-to-busi...
Read More >SECOND HUNG JURY IN UBER BLACK FLSA CASE SHOWS DIFFICULTY OF APPLYING INDEPENDENT CONTRACTOR TESTS
19 Jul
For the second time a jury has been unable to reach a unanimous decision on whether Uber Black drivers qualify as employees under federal and state la...
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SCOTUS OVERTURNS DOCTRINE OF CHEVRON DEFERENCE, MAKING STATUTORY INTERPRETATION BATTLES HARDER FOR FEDERAL REGULATORS
16 Jul
The United States Supreme Court recently issued its opinion in Loper Bright Enterprises v. Raimondo, No. 22-451 (June 28, 2024)[1], overturning decade...
Read More >PAGA REFORMS MARK STEP IN THE RIGHT DIRECTION FOR CALIFORNIA BUSINESS
15 Jul
On June 18th the California Chamber of Commerce, Governor Gavin Newsom, and the leaders of each house of the California legislature announced that the...
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ILLINOIS INDEPENDENT CONTRACTOR PROTECTIONS IN EFFECT AS OF JULY 1ST
02 Jul
Many states and local jurisdictions across the United States have recently enacted laws governing contracts and payments of individual independent con...
Read More >NJ CASE DEMONSTRATES JUDICIAL HOSTILITY TO INDEPENDENT CONTRACTOR MODEL
02 Jul
A recent case from the New Jersey Supreme Court shows how hostile many judges are to the idea of favoring independent contractor status. Even with cle...
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SCOTUS CASE ON NLRB INJUNCTIONS REVEALS SHIFT ON AGENCY DEFERENCE
25 Jun
The United States Supreme Court recently issued its opinion in Starbucks Corp. v. McKinney, No. 23-367 (June 13, 2024). While the specific holding is ...
Read More >NEW NYS ASSEMBLY LABOR CHAIR, HARRY BRONSON, MUST NOT FORGET ABOUT INDEPENDENT WORKERS
31 May
Expect New Legislation Agenda from Labor Committee to Attack Small BusinessesHarry Bronson is the newly appointed Chair of the NYS Assembly Labor Comm...
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