Labor, business disagree over workers' compensation reform

JUNEAU (AP) – Alaska Gov. Bill Walker is sponsoring workers’ compensation legislation aimed at making it easier to determine whether someone is an employee or an independent contractor.

Walker’s bill creates a new definition for independent contractors to determine if employers have to pay to insure against on-the-job injuries, KTOO-FM reported.

The legislation has drawn criticism from Alaska’s Small Business Association, which says the new definition is too narrow for industries that rely heavily on independent contractors, such as construction.

But construction workers spoke in favor of the...