Write an essay of between 500 and 1000 words on the topic below. Note: essays that do not meet the word count criterion will be disqualified. If you use outside references or sources please cite them.
A coalition of gig economy companies, including Uber and Lyft, have placed a question on the November 2022 Massachusetts ballot related to employment status. Similar to a ballot question they spent more than $200 million to pass in California, it would declare all app-based drivers to be independent contractors, rather than employees. There are more than 200,000 such workers in Massachusetts. Unions and other worker advocates oppose this question, saying it is a thinly-veiled effort to strip workers of basic rights, protections and benefits.
Discuss the direct and indirect impact that passage of the ballot question could have on app-based drivers and other workers, including union carpenters. Are there longer-term or wider impacts to be considered?