NEWS: Casar, McGarvey, Norcross, Scott Introduce the Workers POWER Act to Crack Down on Labor Rights Violations
WASHINGTON – Today, Congressman Greg Casar (D-Texas) joined Representatives Morgan McGarvey (KY-03), Donald Norcross(NJ-01), and Ranking Member Bobby Scott (VA-03) in introducing the Workers Protecting Our Wage Earners Rights Act — or Workers POWER Act. The bill will improve the capacity, pipeline, and resources of the Department of Labor to more robustly enforce labor law and crack down on wage theft, child labor, occupational safety and health hazards, and other labor violations.
“Right now, people are being forced to work unsafe and dangerous jobs by some of the biggest corporations across the country,” said Congressman Greg Casar (D-Texas). “We must increase the Department of Labor’s resources to help them tackle the increasing number of labor violations, hold these big corporations accountable, and protect U.S. workers for the long haul.”
“Everyday working people are the ones who power this country, and they deserve to work with dignity, free from concerns of stolen wages or having their health and safety put at risk,” said Congressman Morgan McGarvey (D-KY). “This bill creates a better future for our country’s workers by empowering the Department of Labor to crack down on bad actors engaging in conduct ranging from child labor violations to wage theft. I’m proud to lead my colleagues in the fight to prevent our workers from being exploited and will continue working to ensure every worker in our country makes good wages and has safe working conditions.”
“The Department of Labor’s (DOL) Wage and Hour Division (WHD) and Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) are an essential line of defense against wage theft, abusive child labor, and unsafe workplaces. Regrettably, these agencies and their staff have been left without the resources and support they need to fulfill DOL’s promise to workers. This is particularly dangerous at a time when unscrupulous employers are robbing workers of hard-earned pay and there is a surge in horrific incidents of child labor and workplace injuries and deaths,” said Ranking Member Bobby Scott (D-VA). “The Workers POWER Act would help ensure that WHD and OSHA have access to a strong pipeline of talent and can provide their staff with the support they deserve. We must invest in the individuals who dedicate themselves to protecting the rights and safety of American workers.”
“No worker should be subjected to unsafe and unhealthy working conditions. As a former electrician, I saw many friends and coworkers seriously injured and killed on the job due to dangerous and exploitative working conditions,” said Congressman Donald Norcross (D-NJ), co-chair of the Labor Caucus. “I’m proud to join my colleagues in introducing the Workers POWER Act to empower the Department of Labor with the tools and resources it needs to enforce federal labor laws, protect workers, and crack down on exploitative labor practices. The health and safety of America’s workers remains one of my top priorities in Congress, and I will continue to work with both sides of the aisle to keep them safe and healthy.”
The Workers POWER Act:
- Expands the pipeline of talent and workforce into WHD and OSHA through increasing paid internship, Recent Graduate Program, and President Management Fellow slots.
- Creates Child Labor Fellow positions at WHD and OSHA staffed by fellows from labor unions, academia, and other expert institutions.
- Increases the number of Honors Attorneys Program slots for recent law graduates to build a pipeline of more federal investigators.
- Expands and creates more flexibility for a bonus program, recruitment and relocations bonuses, retention bonuses, merit awards, and incentives for needed critical skills.
- Triples the eligible loan repayment amount and rate for all DOL employees to incentivize public service for recent graduates.
- Requests a joint GAO-DOL report on addressing the need for increased capacity at DOL in addition to developing a recruitment strategy for underrepresented groups into DOL and how to best work with unions and community organizations to enforce labor law.
- Authorizes a $250 million grant program to states to increase the staffing and resources for their relevant departments of labor.
The Workers POWER Act is endorsed by the Amalgamated Transit Union (ATU), American Federation of Government Employees (AFGE), American Federation of Labor and Congress of Industrial Organizations (AFL-CIO), American Federation of Teachers (AFT), American Postal Workers Union (APWU), Association of Flight Attendants (AFA), Association of Professional Flight Attendants (APFA), International Association of Sheet Metal, Air, Rail and Transportation Workers (SMART), International Brotherhood of Teamsters, National Treasury Employees Union (NTEU), Transport Workers Union of America (TWU), United Food and Commercial Workers (UFCW), and the United Steelworkers (USW).
The bill text is available here.
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Congressman Greg Casar represents Texas’s 35th Congressional District in the U.S. House of Representatives, which runs down I-35 from East Austin to Hays County to the West Side of San Antonio. A labor organizer and son of Mexican immigrants, Casar serves as the Whip of the Congressional Progressive Caucus for the 118th Congress. He also serves on the Committee on Oversight and Accountability and the Committee on Agriculture.
