At the recently convened White House Summit on Worker Voice, President Obama argued that the central economic problem of the day is making sure that everyone who works hard is “getting paid a decent wage with decent benefits, [and] everybody has some basic economic security.” To achieve these goals, Obama said that the power of workers to take collective action must be strengthened. But if a recent letter signed by a number of union leaders, nonprofit executives and tech investors is any indication, advocates for collective action by workers should be concerned.

Recently, 39 Service Employees International Union (SEIU) staffers and leaders, a network of “alt labor” groups and CEOs of and investors in some of the fastest growing “sharing economy” companies signed an open letter titled “Common ground for independent workers.” The letter argues that the on-demand economy is “fundamentally changing the economic landscape across the country, adding value to consumers’ lives and bringing new opportunities for workers.”

But the authors of the letter also admit that many of the workers in this new economy—Uber drivers, Handy maids—face difficulties obtaining insurance and other benefits and protections. Why? Because they’re classified as freelancers, not employees. As such, they’re not even protected by many federal, state and local minimum wage laws and other labor protections.

What is the solution? The letter’s authors call for a discussion to establish a system of “portable benefits” not tied to the companies they work for. They state that policy changes to create a system of such benefits is a better solution than litigation.