State Sen. Jon Erpenbach, D-Waunakee, deserves credit for staying with his fight to pass legislation that sets strict rules on companies that hire young people for door-to-door sales crews.
After years of being blocked in the Legislature, the bill passed Tuesday and is expected to be signed by Gov. Jim Doyle. It's a good bill that prevents young adult workers from being placed in unsafe and unfair conditions. Perhaps fittingly, the bill passed on the 10-year anniversary of the death of the legislation's namesake.
The bill has been called "Malinda's Act" for Malinda Turvey, who was 18 when she was one of seven members of a traveling magazine sales crew who died when their van crashed near Janesville. Five others were injured in the crash. Malinda's father, Phil Ellenbecker, was a tireless advocate for the legislation and was an "inspiration" to Erpenbach.
The bill requires sales workers who travel in pairs of two or more to be employees rather than independent contractors, making them subject to labor laws. Companies employing the crews will need to register with the state and their operators would have to pass criminal background checks.
"This is a simple bill," Erpenbach said Tuesday. "People who work in traveling sales crews will have the same employee protections a part-time worker at McDonald's currently has in Wisconsin."
It is a simple bill. And it's simply shameful that it took so long for it to pass. Thankfully, Erpenbach kept up his fight to protect young workers from unfair and dangerous practices.
After years of being blocked in the Legislature, the bill passed Tuesday and is expected to be signed by Gov. Jim Doyle. It's a good bill that prevents young adult workers from being placed in unsafe and unfair conditions. Perhaps fittingly, the bill passed on the 10-year anniversary of the death of the legislation's namesake.
The bill has been called "Malinda's Act" for Malinda Turvey, who was 18 when she was one of seven members of a traveling magazine sales crew who died when their van crashed near Janesville. Five others were injured in the crash. Malinda's father, Phil Ellenbecker, was a tireless advocate for the legislation and was an "inspiration" to Erpenbach.
The bill requires sales workers who travel in pairs of two or more to be employees rather than independent contractors, making them subject to labor laws. Companies employing the crews will need to register with the state and their operators would have to pass criminal background checks.
"This is a simple bill," Erpenbach said Tuesday. "People who work in traveling sales crews will have the same employee protections a part-time worker at McDonald's currently has in Wisconsin."
It is a simple bill. And it's simply shameful that it took so long for it to pass. Thankfully, Erpenbach kept up his fight to protect young workers from unfair and dangerous practices.
