Marty Walsh’s Gig Worker Decision: Is Legal War Worth the Risk?

Labor Secretary Marty Walsh recently said gig workers “in a lot of cases” should be treated as employees rather than independent contractors. But the real question is whether the Biden administration has the appetite for a high-stakes legal war with a gig-economy heavyweight, or whether it will opt for a more measured strategy.

While the U.S. Labor Department has had its fair share of strong-willed litigators, it has never felt compelled to take on the massive operational challenge of prosecuting a ride-share or delivery app behemoth for allegedly depriving workers of employee status, a designation that entitles them to minimum ...