A (truly) independent plumber is a worker that owns their own means of production. Literally the ideal.
Although it's more likely they're "independent" but working for some company using "independent contractors" as a way to avoid offering benefits and following labor laws.
Either way it's the worker that eats the fare, or has to pass it on to the customer.
Although it's more likely they're "independent" but working for some company using "independent contractors" as a way to avoid offering benefits and following labor laws.
That's called piece work, those are proles. Unusual in the trades afaik. In thoroughly unionized work like plumbing they'd be scabs. They should join their UA local 1 and get union jobs instead of scabbing.
A (truly) independent plumber is a worker that owns their own means of production. Literally the ideal.
They are an artisan, with different material interests than proles.
I think in the west, independent contractors tend to be closer to petit bourgeoisie. Also depending on the industry, are used to cross picket lines during strikes and industrial action, like the freelance armorer that was in charge of the gun Baldwin used to kill that lady was there because the union film crew walked out due to unsafe working environments.
Fwiw I don't actually know if, say, NYC plumbers have a union and if/when there are independent plumbers, they would side with the workers. Although in my experience, small business owners tend to be tyrants just as often as big business owners.
Goes back to Marx too. Artisans are not proles, and have different material interests even if they aren't petty boug. They are not alienated from their labor, even if they don't exploit proles themselves.
OP should've used rideshare drivers as her example. But piecework taxi driving is inextricable from the problem congestion pricing is trying to solve.
I think "independent plumber" was intended to mean "self-employed" in this case. I am not defending small business owners outside of the owner/operator type setup.
an independent plumber isn't a prole
A (truly) independent plumber is a worker that owns their own means of production. Literally the ideal.
Although it's more likely they're "independent" but working for some company using "independent contractors" as a way to avoid offering benefits and following labor laws.
Either way it's the worker that eats the fare, or has to pass it on to the customer.
That's called piece work, those are proles. Unusual in the trades afaik. In thoroughly unionized work like plumbing they'd be scabs. They should join their UA local 1 and get union jobs instead of scabbing.
They are an artisan, with different material interests than proles.
I will not tolerate this Mario Mario slander
??
I think in the west, independent contractors tend to be closer to petit bourgeoisie. Also depending on the industry, are used to cross picket lines during strikes and industrial action, like the freelance armorer that was in charge of the gun Baldwin used to kill that lady was there because the union film crew walked out due to unsafe working environments.
Fwiw I don't actually know if, say, NYC plumbers have a union and if/when there are independent plumbers, they would side with the workers. Although in my experience, small business owners tend to be tyrants just as often as big business owners.
Goes back to Marx too. Artisans are not proles, and have different material interests even if they aren't petty boug. They are not alienated from their labor, even if they don't exploit proles themselves.
OP should've used rideshare drivers as her example. But piecework taxi driving is inextricable from the problem congestion pricing is trying to solve.
The only solution is to ban cars.
I think "independent plumber" was intended to mean "self-employed" in this case. I am not defending small business owners outside of the owner/operator type setup.
I did mean self-employed plumber. For example, a family plumbing business comprising of two brothers.