Portside

Misclassification of workers may sound like a clerical error. But in the construction industry, it can lead to wage theft, intimidation, and delayed treatment for workplace injuries.

Noncompete clauses in workers’ contracts, which prevent them from accepting employment with a competitor, have drawn public scrutiny and the FTC is proposing to ban them. But worker advocates say restrictive covenants that constrain the mobility of workers are noncompetes by another name.

The protest was one of 16 at major national airports on behalf of 20,000 airline-catering workers.