Labor Caucus Celebrates JEC Report on Unions

Statement

Labor Caucus Co-Chairs Representatives Debbie Dingell (D-MI), Steven Horsford (D-NV), Donald Norcross (D-NJ), Mark Pocan (D-WI) Linda Sánchez (D-CA), and Tom Suozzi (D-NY) applaud the publishing of the joint report from the House Education and Labor Committee and the Joint Economic Committee (JEC) titled "Unions Provide Major Economic Benefits for Workers and Families."

"Labor unions are having more than a moment," the Co-Chairs of the Labor Caucus said. "Unions have helped level the playing field in the United States for years and this report from the Joint Economic Committee and the House Education and Labor Committee proves what we already knew: unions are not just good for workers, they're good for the entire economy. The statistics speak for themselves, creating yet another compelling reason for the Senate to immediately pass the PRO Act and protect the right to organize. Thank you to JEC Chairman Beyer and Education and Labor Chairman Scott for putting this excellent report together."

"Unions are the foundation of America's middle class. For too long, the wealthy have captured an increasing share of the economic pie," JEC Chairman Beyer said. "As this report makes clear, unions help address economic inequality and ensure workers actually see the benefits when the economy grows. Even better, the positive effects of unions extend beyond just those workplaces that have formally organized. By boosting wages industry-wide, narrowing the gender and racial wage gaps and improving job quality, unions generate benefits that are economy wide. Supporting the right to organize puts more money directly into workers' pockets. That is why I continue to firmly support legislation to strengthen labor protections, including the PRO Act, which passed the House last year and would further strengthen the right of workers to join a union."

"This report offers the latest evidence that labor unions are workers' best tool to access higher wages, better benefits, and safer workplaces," Education and Labor Chairman Scott said. "In fact, the benefits of union membership extend even to nonunion members and the children of unionized workers. The need to protect workers' right to organize is greater than ever. While wealthy individuals and the largest corporations continue to boost their profits, workers across the country have been forced to work in unsafe conditions for insufficient pay, because they lacked the ability to stand together and negotiate with their employer. As Chair of the Education and Labor Committee, I am committed to addressing the decades of anti-worker attacks that have eroded workers' collective bargaining rights. With the release of this report, I once again call on the Senate to pass the Protecting the Right to Organize Act, which would take historic steps to strengthen workers' right to organize, rebuild our middle class, and improve the lives of workers and their families."