Freelancers Union
Info directly from the Freelancers Union:
The Freelancers Union is a national, 100,000-member organization of independent workers - that includes people who are freelance, self-employed, part-time, and temporary. The union is open to any kind of profession, from advertising to xylophone repair, but all of its members are united by an independent mindset and a common interest in not falling through the ever-expanding cracks of our country's frail and aging social support system.
What does Freelancers Union do?
We make sure that independent workers don't experience package envy. We offer the full package of benefits to eligible independent workers who wouldn't be able to get them through an employer. The part that generates the biggest sigh of relief is of course the health insurance, which we offer through FIC, and insurance company that we built and manage exclusively for our members. Members can also pick up dental, life, disability insurance, and 401(k) retirement plans. We're constantly working on new ways to beef up our benefits, like developing a network of alternative health care providers, so you can see your shrink and your chiropractor without having to sell your kidneys.
How it all works
Since our membership stretches across a lot of different professions all across the country, our approach to unionism has been very broad. We don't negotiate collective labor contracts the way traditional, single-industry unions do, but we do leverage the strong membership numbers to negotiate better rates and services, and to reform public policies that are so outdated they can only be identified using radio carbon isotopes.
We don't charge membership dues, we just charge for the services we provide and use that revenue to keep the lights on at our office (but we always turn them off when we leave).
Cooperation, community, and other things that cynical people might call warm and fuzzy, even though at night they quietly weep for a lack thereof.
We're here to help independent workers help each other. Whether it's getting sweet discounts, sharing useful tips and professional advice, finding work, or building project teams, we believe what all those children's books say - that everyone comes out ahead when we work together.