Free-lance workers, a growing but scattered portion of the labor force, now have a labor advocate that wants to address their problems.

Working Today, a Brooklyn, N.Y., nonprofit organization that has addressed the concerns of the independent work force since 1995, launched its "Freelancers Union," a pilot program aimed specifically at free-lancers, in May. The "union" will initially offer free-lancers membership services such as affordable health care and a forum to come together and discuss what it is like to free-lance in the current economy.

The two main concerns of free-lancers are getting work and finding affordable health care, according to Working Today. Although free-lancers can't officially "unionize," the organization has adopted this terminology because it plans to act on behalf of a collective group that often feels isolated. "Free-lancers don't fit into any system," says Sara Horowitz, Working Today's executive director.

There are 1.3 million part-time, contract and temporary workers in New York, who represent about 30% of the city's total work force, according to Working Today. The Freelancers Union will initially offer membership and services to New York's free-lance community, but ultimately may expand to assist millions of other independent employees across the country.

Some say such services are badly needed since there are few existing resources for free-lancers. "We get pretty sad stories [from free-lancers] who say that many of the previous channels they have relied on are not very attractive at this point," says Inder Guglani, chief executive and co-founder of Emoonlighter, a Pittsburgh-based Web site that connects free-lancers with employers. "It's been pretty treacherous."

Working Today is trying to introduce New York free-lancers to its efforts through an ad campaign containing the tagline, "Welcome to Middle-Class Poverty," which underscores how independent workers are bereft of the benefits granted to permanent employees. Part of the ad reads, "You went to college. You work hard. You can't afford health insurance." The ads can be seen in New York on local transportation and in publications.

The campaign was launched to increase the membership of the Freelancers Union, which has 2,500 members. Its benefits and major project are specifically for those whose free-lance projects are in the areas of internet, financial services, nonprofits and arts and entertainment. To join the union, free-lancers must go to www.freelancersunion.org and prove they work for at least 20 hours a week. Proof could come in the form of a signature from the employer, work invoices or pay stubs.

Through Working Today, free-lancers can get health insurance that costs about $250 a month per single person. That is almost half of what free-lancer Katherine Foster was able to find when she started to look for affordable health insurance late last year. The 33-year-old who works on the sets of film and theater productions in New York, now pays about $225.18 each month through her Freelancers Union membership.

Ms. Foster says it is pretty standard for people to not have health insurance in her line of work. At some point, she adds, most people who have families can't sustain their lives as free-lancers, particularly in New York. "There's a point where if you're not able to get into the union, you leave New York and go and do work elsewhere," she says. "It's just incredibly important to have access to certain services."

In addition to health care, the Freelancers Union will offer life insurance and disability insurance, financial counseling as well as serving as political advocates. Working Today's Ms. Horowitz says the organization plans to focus on the free-lancer segment of the independent work force for another six months or so. It plans to target nannies next.

But the free-lancer population was targeted first for a reason. "If you can figure out how to get health insurance to free-lancers, then you can figure out how everyone can get it," Ms. Horowitz says.