Worker Rights and Labor
Congresswoman Judy Chu with members of the Service Employees International Union.
Worker Rights and Labor
Our workers are the backbone of our economy, and that’s why I am fighting for workers’ rights, pensions, and their freedom to organize. I support working with unions to solve problems, build stronger workplaces, and give working families a real voice. Unions give workers a way to negotiate for their safety, security, pay, benefits, and for the best practices to get the work done. In Washington, I am fighting to protect the right to organize, expand paid leave, combat discriminatory workplace practices, and keep workers safe.
Minimum Wage
The federal minimum wage has remained at $7.25 per hour since 2009, which means millions of Americans working full-time jobs struggle to make ends meet, compounded by rising costs of housing. No one who works hard every day and plays by the rules should live in poverty, and we should make sure that all workers can earn a living wage by raising the federal minimum wage. Fortunately, workers in California benefit from minimum wages that far exceed the federal level thanks to the leadership of our State and localities including Los Angeles County and the City of Pasadena. As a Member of Congress, I am working to make that happen on the federal level as well.
Protecting the Right to Organize
In addition, all workers should have the freedom to decide for themselves whether to form unions and should not be penalized for efforts to organize. I have consistently supported legislation that enhances protections for workers that are discriminated against in the workplace based on their labor union association. I am an original cosponsor of the Protecting the Right to Organize (PRO) Act, a comprehensive bill to protect workers’ rights to join unions and collectively bargain. I also help to co-lead the No Tax Breaks for Union Busting Act, a bill that would end deductibility of corporations’ expenses for efforts to dissuade and prevent their employees from forming a union.
In 2018, the Supreme Court dealt a blow to public sector unions in the Janus v. AFSCME decision by undermining their rights to collectively bargain on behalf of employees. But public sector unions improve working conditions for public servants, and they also improve public services. That’s why I am a cosponsor of the Public Service Freedom to Negotiate Act, which protects the rights of state and local government employees to collectively bargain.
Strengthening Workers' Rights
Every worker in America should be able to earn a living free from discrimination based on race, sex, ethnicity, religion, age, national origin, sexual orientation, or gender identity. In addition, immigrant workers should not be retaliated against if they report an unfair labor practice. I introduced the Protect Our Workers from Exploitation and Retaliation (POWER) Act so workers who report unscrupulous employer practices are able to maintain legal status while the claim is being investigated.
And as climate change brings longer summers and hotter temperatures, more workers who labor in hot conditions are at risk of illness or death from heat stress. Yet, there is no federal standard to provide workers with mandatory access to water, shade, and rest periods. As a Member of the California Assembly, I led legislation that made California that first state in the nation to require paid shade and water breaks for those who work outside. Now, I am working to do the same for all workers nationwide, which is why I have introduced the Asuncion Valdivia Heat Illness and Fatality Prevention Act, named for a worker who died a preventable death from heat stroke after working for 10 hours straight in 105-degree temperatures. It is time for a federal heat stress standard.
Paid Leave
Many workers do not have paid leave they can use to take time off work when they are sick, or when they need to stay home to take care of a sick child or elderly relative. Too many workers face this fear when they or someone in their family is sick or needs medical care. For the tens of millions of Americans who have no paid sick days, an everyday illness brings impossible choices between the jobs they need and the families they love. Workers who can’t afford to stay home are forced to put their families – and the public's health – at risk. I strongly support the Family and Medical Insurance Leave (FAMILY) Act which would establish the nation’s first universal, comprehensive paid family and medical leave program to ensure that every single worker has access to up to 12 weeks of income when they take time off for major medical events, including pregnancy and childbirth recovery. I am also a cosponsor of the Healthy Families Act which would allow employees to earn up to 7 job-protected paid sick days each year to recover from an illness, take care of a sick family member, or access preventative healthcare.