Workers will have a voice in Congress

On Jan. 20, we will close one of the most anti-labor chapters in our nation’s history. The Biden-harris administration presents an opportunity to end a decades-long period in which we’ve seen workers’ safety and livelihoods fall by the wayside, unions busted, and a middle class vanish right before our eyes.

The surging COVID-19 pandemic has only exacerbated the issues faced by working families — millions unemployed and struggling to keep their housing and their health care.

That’s why I formed the new Labor Caucus and serve as its co-chair for policy. It’s time for working families to have Washington in their corner instead of being their opponent. In partnership with the Biden-harris administration, we will have new opportunities to rebuild power and security for working families

fter years of witnessing the diminishing power of working people, we have a lot of work ahead of us to set things right. This starts with passing more COVID-19 relief legislation that puts working families first: providing them directly with the money they need to survive during this pandemic; enhanced unemployment benefits; health insurance premium (COBRA) coverage; workforce protections on the frontlines, including mandatory PPE and hazard pay; and stronger Occupational Safety and Health Administration standards to adequately respond to worker complaints and prevent employers from claiming immunity to exposing their workers to dangerous conditions.

Once we get working families, and thus our economy, on stable footing, the next Congress must act to create jobs — good-paying jobs. Fifty-three million workers — 44% of the entire workforce — earn barely enough to live on. Their median annual income is $18,000. This situation describes hundreds of thousands of Nevadans.

Bottom line: Before the pandemic, millions across the country were working day and night just to eke out a living. Now, that problem is even worse. When we do bring the jobs back, we must make sure they’re good-paying jobs.

Furthermore, we must ensure that public employees have the right to organize, unionize and collectively bargain like other workers. We also must finally close the gender pay gap and guarantee women equal pay for equal work.

Let’s be honest: Union workers built the modern Nevada and continue to be the backbone of our economy and our communities. When working families thrive, our economy thrives. Their success is Nevada’s success.

As a longtime union ally and co-chair of the Labor Caucus, I’m eager to give working people a voice in the new Congress and ensure that it will be heard over the monied interests of corporations. The key to reviving our economy, our state and our nation lies in supporting working families. Let’s get to work.