My now ex-boss i think will try to enforce non-compete on me on his failed attempt to open an office in Vermont. I have a couple of questions. In my original non-compete contract my labor rate was $20 an hour later he changed that without any written authorization from me. Does this affect the contract's validity. Also I know he isn't respecting the difference between me being an independent contractor, he treats me like an employee, not assigning me tasks and letting me do them but in the boss micro manage sort of way.

His office opening here is failed because of no advertising and in the 2nd week he says he'll pay me some of my hours. Now he wants me to ship the office stuff back and i'm hesitant because he hasn't paid me for 2 weeks and says we'll settle up when he gets the stuff back. Which sounds to me like 'be a nice little retard and send me back all the valuables so i can screw you'.

I guess i just need a third party perspective. Thank you.

No one can comment on a contract that they have not read. You need to show it to a local attorney. Contracts in general and non-compete agreements in particular are very state law specific.

Past that, you are making a mistake by keeping property that does not belong to you. You are risking your former "employer" reporting the property as stolen. This issue gets raised several times a month, and no one on this website has ever recommended that the "employee" holding on to property they do not own is a good idea.

File small claims court action for unpaid "wages". Assuming of course that you are not in jail for stolen property.

Also, you say that you are an independant contractor. Maybe. Legally there are some pretty specific rules that must be followed for that to be true. Since you are former IC at this point, you might want to file a UI claim to see if the state agrees with the classification. Costs you nothing.

Federal worker classification rules (http://www.dol.gov/esa/regs/compliance/whd/whdfs13.pdf)