just for argument sake:
1 - freelancers union is working very hard to pass the Freelancer Payment Protection Act (S4129/A6698) that grant freelancers the same wage protection as traditional employees and require the Department of Labor to pursue freelancers' unpaid wages holding deadbeat executives personally liable for up to $20,000 and jail time.
2 - on the union website you can find the Contract Creator, a free tool that allows you to easily create a strong (and nationally accepted) contract to protect yourself.
my2cents