Symptoms of the consternation of independent contractors haven't abated in an atmosphere where the shadows of unemployment and vulnerability stretch ever larger. Nevertheless, let's not make a diagnosis in the absence of illness, be it in the workplace or the occasional radical protest: salaried employes of large corporations who until now have been perceived as barriers to the hiring of independent contractors haven't entered into the fray.

Much sought after by big business, independent contractors play the game, but harshly criticize the ways changes are implemented by the management. Yet, managers aren't seen as the focus of public protests: discontinued and ambivalent, these struggles are seen as "alternatives."

Effectively, the loyalty of salaried workers seems thus paradoxical as it excludes neither temporary unemployment nor protest. But the tie to work is lived through the experience, or personal value, of each individual involved.

Fundamentally, independent contractors of today for the most part take positive ownership of a condition that is of their making. Yet they lack the "benefits" which would allow them to forge a new identity for themselves and to build collective solidarity.