Labor & Business

Democratic Party recommits to labor with A Better Deal

The Democratic Party‘s economic agenda has doubled down on its commitment to workers and unions with A Better Deal: Better Jobs, Better Wages, Better Future. The new proposal, says United States Representative David Cicilline (Democrat, Rhode Island) in a release, “will safeguard workers’ freedom to negotiate with employers, penalize companies that violate workers’ rights, protect the freedom of workers to

Rhode Island News: Democratic Party recommits to labor with A Better Deal

November 3, 2017, 11:48 am

By Steve Ahlquist

David Cicilline

The Democratic Party‘s economic agenda has doubled down on its commitment to workers and unions with A Better Deal: Better Jobs, Better Wages, Better Future. The new proposal, says United States Representative David Cicilline (Democrat, Rhode Island) in a release, “will safeguard workers’ freedom to negotiate with employers, penalize companies that violate workers’ rights, protect the freedom of workers to organize, and more. The new proposal comes as Republicans in Congress and powerful special interests are looking to roll back worker protections in order to maximize corporate profits.”

The Better Deal for American workers proposal will:

  • Strengthen penalties on predatory corporations that violate workers’ rights, and combat misclassification of workers as supervisors and independent contractors.
  • Strengthen workers’ right to strike for basic workplace improvements, including higher wages and better working conditions.
  • Create a mandatory mediation and arbitration process to ensure corporations and newly formed unions reach a first contract.
  • Ban state laws that undermine worker freedoms to join together and negotiate.
  • Provide millions of public employees with the freedom to join a union and collectively bargain with their employers.
  • Streamline the National Labor Relation Board (NLRB)’s procedures to secure worker freedoms and effectively prevent violations.
  • Protect the integrity of union elections against coercive captive audience meetings.
  • Use federal purchasing power and policy to help expand opportunities to negotiate.

“Working people sent Donald Trump to Washington to fight for them. But right now all they’ve got to show for it are broken promises. Working people deserve A Better Deal,” said Cicilline. “As Republicans continue their assault on workers’ rights, I’m proud to be putting forth new policies that will hold predatory corporations accountable and preserve for workers, the freedom to organize and negotiate for better wages and benefits. These are commonsense solutions that Democrats will move forward when we take back the House next year.”