When I asked the employer about W2 he said we are independent contractors.

So I have been working for about a year in this restaurant full time.  When I asked the employer about W2 he said we are independent contractors....  Which means I'll have to bear Hella's taxes...but I've worked in restaurants for a long time and we weren't once considered contractors.  It's a small restaurant so I wonder if it does it that way because it's easier but at the end of the day I'm an employee.  I check in, put his shirts on, he pays us every hour like it's like that, obviously we're employees......we never sign anything saying we're employees, but he never gives us any documents that we're 1099  factor.  so what do I do?  One of my co-workers had just been "fired" and tried to at least get unemployment, but when I told her she was an independent contractor, she became ineligible.  Like what can we do?  What do we do?  Is there anything that can be done?

Use IRS form 8919

I would also file form SS8

Do SS8 first then form 8919

I’m an employer and can’t stand garbage like that.