2010.02.25 NY Daily News
A Prescription for the Health Care Summit by Sara Horowitz
"To bridge their ideological gap at today's bipartisan health care summit, Republicans and Democrats should focus on a market-based solution that meets the needs of America's 21st century workforce: portability."

2010.02.18 ABC
Freelancing Becoming Popular Option by Tim Fleischer
"With it becoming more difficult to find full-time jobs, freelancing options are becoming more popular. 'About 10 years ago when you said I'm freelance, people thought that meant you were like a slacker dude or were unemployed. Now when you say you're freelance people say, what do you do?' said Sara Horowitz, Freelancers Union founder."

+ Watch the video

2010.02.05 CNNMoney.com
Freelancers: America's New Workforce by Peter Coy, Michelle Conlin, and Moira Herbst
Video: Founder of the Freelancers Union Sara Horowitz explains why the self-employed are a bigger factor in today's economy.

+ Watch the video

2010.01.07 BusinessWeek
The Disposable Worker by Peter Coy, Michelle Conlin, and Moira Herbst
"'For the last 10 years, I and others have been saying that these trends aren't just for a fringe workforce but increasingly are for the mainstream,' says Sara Horowitz, founder and executive director of the Freelancers Union, a 130,000-member advocacy group for contract workers. 'This recession has shown us that the future is here.'"

2009.11.30 Crain's New York Business
From Corporate Slave to Dream Job by Miriam Souccar
"Scores of victims from the recession are seizing on the chance to follow their dreams of succeeding in creative fields. The newly downsized and those whose businesses have suffered are taking a risk and becoming artists, novelists or designers. Though data on how many New Yorkers are pursuing new careers in the arts is unavailable, the Freelancers Union says membership grew 40% from October 2008 to April 2009."

2009.11.23 Washington Post
A Blow to the Self-Employed by Zeba Khan
"Time magazine predicted earlier this year that by 2019, up to 40 percent of the workforce will be independent contractors. Congress needs to recognize this reality and avoid undermining successful models like the Freelancers Union as it stitches together legislative priorities for health-care reform."

2009.10.20 The Hill
Freelancers Union’s Model for Healthcare Reform by Sara Horowitz
"It is time for our country to reform the healthcare system in a way that doesn’t alienate a specific class of people and that can grow organically out of our existing infrastructure to be sustainable well into the future."

2009.9.18 Crain's Insider
No free lunch: Group pays its political dues
"For the first time, the Freelancers Union has injected itself into city elections, and so far it has done fairly well. It helped six Democratic primary candidates, only one of whom lost Tuesday (City Council hopeful Evan Thies of Brooklyn)."

2009.7.16 Wall Street Journal Online
Freelancers' Guide to Getting Paid - on Time by Diana Middleton
"To get paid, freelance workers may have to become collections agents—especially now. As some companies struggle to pay full-time employees, freelance invoices can get easier to ignore. Seventy-seven percent of members of Freelancers Union, which has 120,000 members nationwide, have had clients that didn’t pay at least once."

2009.7.13 New York Post
Tax Relief for Freelancers by Chris Erikson
"City freelancers have reason to celebrate the breaking of the State Senate logjam on Friday. Among the bills passed once the Democratic majority was restored was a provision exempting 17,000 city freelancers and small businesses from the Unincorporated Business Tax."

2009.5.4 CNN Money.com
Freelance is the new full-time by Jessica Dickler
"As unemployed Americans struggle to find full-time work, many will have to settle for positions that are easier to come by - freelance. 'The overarching disadvantage to being a freelancer is that you have to cobble together your own social safety net,' said Althea Erickson, a senior manager at the Freelancers Union, referring to the lack of benefits including health insurance."

more news highlights

[hide]

Sara Horowitz founded Working Today - Freelancers Union in 1995 to represent the needs and concerns of the growing independent workforce. In recognition of her efforts to create a self-sustaining organization of flexible workers, Horowitz was awarded a John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation Fellowship in 1999. Before founding Freelancers Union, Horowitz worked as a labor attorney, a union organizer, and a public defender in New York City. A lifelong resident of Brooklyn, she holds degrees from Cornell University's School of Industrial and Labor Relations, SUNY Buffalo Law School, and Harvard's John F. Kennedy School of Government.

Freelancers Union seeks to update the nation's social safety net, developing systems so that all working people can access affordable benefits, regardless of their job arrangements. As executive director, Horowitz takes an entrepreneurial approach, pursuing creative, market-based solutions to pressing social problems. In 2004, 2006, 2007, and 2008, Working Today - Freelancers Union was recognized as a leading social entrepreneur by Fast Company magazine. Horowitz is a trustee of the Nathan Cummings Foundation and is on the board of the Women’s Housing and Economic Development Corporation.

[hide]

Sara Horowitz founded Working Today in 1995 to represent the needs and concerns of the growing independent workforce. Working Today built Freelancers Union to pioneer a new form of unionism, and the organization now has 100,000 members nationwide. Freelancers Union seeks to update the nation’s social safety net, developing systems so that all working people can access affordable benefits, regardless of their job arrangements. As executive director, Sara takes an entrepreneurial approach, pursuing creative, market-based solutions to pressing social problems.

In recognition of her efforts to create a self-sustaining organization of flexible workers, Sara was awarded a John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation Fellowship in 1999. Before founding Working Today, Sara was a labor attorney in private practice and a union organizer with 1199, the National Health and Human Service Employees Union. Prior to joining 1199, Sara was a public defender in New York City.

A lifelong resident of Brooklyn, NY, Sara comes from a long line of labor advocates, including her father, who was a labor lawyer, and her grandfather, who was vice president of the International Ladies’ Garment Workers Union. This family history of involvement in the labor movement led Sara to Cornell University's School of Industrial and Labor Relations, where she was awarded its labor prize. She later earned a law degree cum laude from the SUNY Buffalo Law School and a master's degree from Harvard's John F. Kennedy School of Government.

Sara is a trustee of the Nathan Cummings Foundation and is on the board of the Women’s Housing and Economic Development Corporation. Freelancers Union has been featured throughout the popular and business press, including The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal, The Economist, Wired and Fast Company; as well as on NOW with David Brancaccio, NewsHour with Jim Lehrer and National Public Radio’s Talk of the Nation and All Things Considered. Working Today has been recognized four times as one of the leading social entrepreneurs by Fast Company magazine.

[hide]

Sara Horowitz, Founder and Executive Director of Freelancers Union

Click to download hi-res image

Click to download hi-res image

Freelancers Union grants news outlets the right to use these images in connection with coverage of Working Today and/or Freelancers Union. Photo credit: Natalie Abell.

[hide]