Skip to main content

LABOR

Bill is a strong advocate for organized labor and credits unions with support for our country’s middle class and workplace protections. Workers who are unionized are often paid more than their nonunion counterparts and are covered by workplace-related health insurance. Strong unions translate into fairer treatment for workers, including hours, pay, and leave time.

Recently, we have seen attacks on unions and collective bargaining across the country – from the visible attacks spearheaded by Wisconsin Governor Scott Walker to attempts by Republicans in Congress to strip labor of these protections. Collective bargaining agreements establish the terms of employment for workers on certain projects and often promote efficient completion of that project. President Obama has lifted a previous restriction prohibiting federal agencies to use collective bargaining agreements on federal projects. Bill has consistently opposed any attempts to limit collective bargaining agreements.

He has also opposed free trade agreements with countries that violate international labor standard. Often those agreements decrease worker protections, erode environmental standards, and promote currency manipulation.

Bill supports an expansion of our public infrastructure – which will create well-paying jobs and increase accessibility to urban and rural areas. Bill opposes privatizing our transportation workers and believes that this would lead to not only a decreased level of service but compromised working conditions. Concurrently, Bill believes that when we pay our workers fairly, our economy flourishes. He strongly supports raising the minimum wage to $10.10.