It is no coincidence that income inequality, the decline of the middle class, and the weakening of union power mirror each other. In 2020, union density was 10.8%, down from 34.8% in 1954. We need more people in unions.
In Congress, I will fight for:
- Making it easier to form and join a union through measures such as a majority sign up process.
- Passing H.R. 2474: the Protecting the Right to Organize (PRO) Act.
- Enacting “first contract” provisions so that employers cannot prevent union formation via endless stalling.
- Giving federal workers the right to strike, so federal workers can fight for better pay and treatment just like any other union member.
- Repealing Section 14(b) of the Taft-Hartley Act, so that “right to work” is eliminated.
- Guaranteeing the right of all public employees to bargain collectively.
- Mandating codetermination on corporate boards, so that employees have 45% representation on corporate boards at all corporations with $100+ million in annual revenue and at all publicly traded companies.
- Guaranteeing the right of first refusal, so that workers can buy a company when it goes up for sale, is closing, or is moving overseas.
- Establishing sectoral collective bargaining, so that wages, hours, and benefits will be set across industries, preventing a race to the bottom in union standards.
- Passing H.R.582: the Raise the Wage Act, to raise the minimum wage to $15 per hour.
- Ending the ability of corporations to renege on union contracts after merging.
- Banning the permanent replacement of striking workers, so all workers can strike without fear of losing their jobs.
- Establishing federal just cause, so employees can’t be fired at will.
- Ending the exemption of domestic and agricultural workers from protection under the Fair Labor Standards Act, the National Labor Relations Act, and other federal labor laws.
- Ending the misclassification of employees as contractors or supervisors.
- Banning the issuance of federal contracts to companies that outsource jobs, bust unions, or pay low wages.
- Eliminating the ability of employers to shirk their duties to employees via franchisee and contractor arrangements.
- Allowing secondary boycotts, so unions can boycott companies that engage in union-busting.
- Passing federal legislation enacting fair scheduling requirements, so that all workers have predictable, stable, and sufficient work hours.
- Ensuring that, under Medicare for All, unions can still negotiate for wrap-around services and benefits non-duplicative of those provided by Medicare for All.
- Implementing the Keep Our Pension Promises Act, so the pensions of 10 million Americans cannot be cut. If we can bail out Wall Street, we can bail out workers.
- Banning employers from forcing employees to attend anti-union meetings.
- Guaranteeing the right of all workers to unionize, including farm, domestic, and food service workers.