Could laws designed to protect gig workers actually hurt them?

話 題 導 入

隨著共享經濟的蓬勃發展，“網約工”開始涌入勞動市場。 “網約工”并不是一個專門的工種，而是指那些通過互聯網平臺為消費者提供服務的勞動者群體的統稱，其中比較有代表性的就是我們熟知的快遞小哥、外賣騎手、代駕司機、上門廚師等。

隨著這一群體的規模越來越大，這一群體與互聯網平臺之間產生的勞動糾紛也越來越多。 多數“網約工”處于一種尷尬的境地：他們與互聯網平臺之間的法律關系過于模糊，很難維護自己的合法權利。 這就導致“網約工”一旦出現意外工傷或勞動損傷，他們的合法權益難以得到保障。

為保護“網約工”的權益，美國加州議會最近頒發了包括第5號議案在內的一些法案。 但這些法案卻由于自身的漏洞而飽受爭議。 本文就此進行了分析。

本文是一篇議論文。 全文約446詞，建議用時8分鐘。

閱讀目標

1. 理清文章的基本結構，明確議論文的一般框架。

2. 區分文章的事實與觀點，掌握作者通過例證和引用闡明觀點的方法。

3. 能夠對文章的主要信息進行提取、概括與整合，以讀促寫，讀寫結合。

4. 思考在共享經濟環境下，“網約工”面臨的機遇、挑戰和困境，以及保護“網約工”合法權益的基本措施。

閱讀掃障

1. exploitation /'ekspl??'te??n/ n. 利用；剝削

2. freelance /'fri?lɑ?ns/ adj. 自由職業（者）的

3. contractor /k?n'tr?kt?(r)/ n. 承包人；承包商；承包公司

4. controversial /'k?ntr?'vз??l/ adj. 有爭議的；引起爭議的

5.compensation/'k?mpen'se??n/n.賠償金；補償金

6. payroll tax 薪資稅；工資稅

7. subcontractor /'s?bk?n'tr?kt?(r)/ n. 分包人；分包商

8. slot /sl?t/ n. 位置；機會

In an unexpected twist, a series of new legislation that claims to stop theexploitationoffreelanceworkers is causing a strong objection from some of thecontractorswho it's designed to protect.

California's AB 5 is among the mostcontroversial.The law, which went into effect on Jan. 1, spells out detailed standards that must be met to determine whether workers are employees entitled to benefits and other protections, or contractors without those safety nets.

The law's arrival comes as the US increasingly relies on a freelance workforce, with businesses able to save up to 30% or more in costs using independent contractors rather than employees, according to the National Employment Law Project.

States have long had rules defining who is an employee versus a freelancer, particularly to sort out who qualifies for benefits like unemployment insurance and workers'compensation.Federal laws also contain definitions of who is,who isn't, and an employee or a contractor.

Last year, at least 15 states introduced bills related to worker classification, says Josh Cunningham, manager of the employment, labor, and retirement program for the National Conference of State Legislatures. Of those, bills in Delaware,Illinois and Nevada, as well as California, were signed into law.

“It is not new,” Rebecca Smith, director of work structures at the National Employment Law Project, said of such laws. “But what is new is the degree of organizing among workers, especially those in the gig economy. Workers across the country are joining together, standing up,and demanding that businesses stop gaming the system. And legislators are listening.”

Those who support the new laws say some are merely strengthening or spelling out rules previously established by labor officials or the courts. The goal is to prevent employers from misclassifying workers so they can avoid payingpayroll taxesand guaranteeing them a minimum wage, workers' compensation and other protections.

Independent workers may be more vulnerable than employees,not entitled to certain wages,insurance and other benefits. But many freelancers say they prefer the flexibility of not being tied to a single employer, while industries like trucking are built around a network of freestandingsubcontractors.

In the wake of passage of AB 5, some freelance work is disappearing. Vox Media will create 20 new full-time positions, while eliminating 200 freelanceslotsthat covered California sports teams, saying that sticking to the law's limits on freelance content will be difficult.

“They're not going to force any news organization to hire more staff,” Mickey H. Osterreicher, General Counsel of the National Press Photographers Association, said of the legislation. “This will just ultimately have the effect of people who were earning an income having their income reduced or eliminated completely.”

—From USA Today

Ⅰ. Reading for the main idea

What does this passage mainly talk about?

A. Advantages of freelance workers are weakening.

B. Traditional law for labor market is taking a new turning.

C. Situations of freelance workers are growing worse and worse.

D. New legislation for freelance workers is causing a strong objection.

Ⅱ. Reading for the structure

Ⅲ. Reading for understanding

1. What is the purpose of enforcing the law? And who has raised an objection against it?

2. What is the law mainly about?

3. Why could the law be enacted according to Para. 3～Para. 5?

4. How is the new law different from the past law in the field of the gig economy?

5. Why do some people support the new laws?

6. Why are some people against the new laws?

7. What might the new laws bring about?

【點石成金】任何體裁的文章都有其內在的邏輯與層次關系，把握了這一關系，同學們就可以理清文本脈絡，準確理解文本的深層含義。 在閱讀不同體裁的文章時，同學們應注意文章對中心話題的闡釋，形成有效的問題鏈。 本處設置的七個問題，涉及法案的制定目的、內容、背景、特點，人們對它的評價、態度，以及該法案的影響等，通過回答這些問題，同學們就可以比較清晰地認識這個新法案。明確信息提取與整合過程中的目標也為后續的語言輸出做了較好的鋪墊。在回答問題時，同學們應注意適當改變文中的原句，進行必要的轉述。

Reading for writing

Supposing you are a freelancer, you are interviewed by a journalist about your attitude towards the new law. What would you say about it?

【點石成金】讀寫整合的重點就是以閱讀為語言輸入形式，在寫作過程中輸出語言，堅持輸入和輸出的一致性。 緊扣閱讀的話題，設計寫作任務，這能夠給學生足夠的支架或鋪墊，能夠保證閱讀文本中出現的重點詞匯的運用。

情境是學生核心素養培育的途徑和方法，是實現核心素養的現實基礎。 教師在教學過程中創設情境就是構建課程知識內容與學生的生活、經驗、情感和生命的連接紐帶。 教學中所創設的情境要貼近學生的生活，并使得學生能夠在所創設的情境中運用所學知識解決實際問題。

一、閱讀微技能：Facts and opinions

在閱讀議論文時，我們需要區分文章的觀點和事實。 觀點通常是作者的態度或看法，是文章的核心信息；而事實是用來佐證文章論點的論據，是支撐性信息或細節性信息。

A fact: A fact is a truth. A fact is a statement of truth that can be verified and is able to be proven as true. It is known to have happened or to exist, especially something for which proof exists,or about which there is information.

An opinion: An opinion is a statement that reflects an author's or the speaker's point of view, beliefs, perspectives, personal feelings, and values; opinions cannot be verified and proven to be true or false. However, a person's opinion can be supported or refuted（駁斥） when a critical thinker who is a critically thinking reader of a text scrutinizes （仔細審查） and critically evaluates the author's opinions, beliefs, perspectives, personal feelings and values, and these opinions are based on documented,valid and reliable facts.

Fill in the table below with an F if it is a fact or an O if it is an opinion.

?

二、中國外賣小哥因“非凡使命感”登上《時代周刊》封面

用一些“網約工”自己的說法，“社保福利無人管，抽成罰款不手軟”是他們過去的生活寫照。 然而，逆境之下，總有一些“網約工”成為最美的逆行者。 3月19日，美國《時代周刊》發布抗疫群像，美團外賣騎手高治曉作為唯一華人面孔登上封面。《時代周刊》在封面上對高治曉的介紹語為：

Beijing

Gao Zhixiao, 32,

a delivery driver who has continued working as the virus spreads across China.

《時代周刊》還引用了高治曉的話，以盛贊他的高度責任感。

“I felt a sense of responsibility because I manage a team of other riders, and some were still working in Wuhan, so I had to help them.”

3月17日，MSN官網轉發此文，贊揚高治曉。

拓展閱讀：P23 Delivery drivers during the coronavirus epidemic; P54 Time—a worldwide news magazine