Category: Press Release

The reintroduction of the urgently needed legislation amidst ongoing high-profile union busting by Amazon and Starbucks has been applauded by the Worker Power Coalition, a coalition of national labor, climate, and progressive groups representing 24 Million workers

Momentum for worker rights reforms continues to quicken in wake of 2022 Midterm elections, with surprise moves by Congress to boost labor board funding following activist demands, and a definitive directive from Pres. Biden urging PRO Act passage during his State of The Union address 

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, U.S. Reps. Bobby Scott (D-VA) and Brian Fitzpatrick (R-PA) announced the re-introduction of the historic, bipartisan Protecting the Right to Organize (PRO) Act, the most ambitious labor reform bill in generations. The PRO Act would strengthen the right of workers to form a union and negotiate for better pay, benefits, and working conditions.

The Worker Power Coalition, America’s largest labor alliance with 24 million workers from national unions and progressive and climate groups, praised today’s move to reintroduce the bill, which was previously passed by the House in March 2021 with bipartisan support. The national coalition leaders are urging Senate Majority Leader Schumer and Speaker McCarthy to bring this bipartisan and commonsense pro-worker legislation to the floor for a vote to support the growing number of workers who are joining together to improve their workplaces.

As a leading voice for national labor reform, the Worker Power Coalition released a Fall 2022 battleground states poll which showed robust bipartisan support for the PRO Act – support lawmakers in both parties are responding to with this bill introduction. In the 2022 Midterm election, voters proved this by rejecting extremist candidates and voting overwhelmingly for pro-worker champions instead.

The Worker Power Coalition’s emergency organizing recently helped secure millions in new funding from Congress for the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) in the December 2022 omnibus bill, the result of a last minute push by WPC partnering with top progressive lawmakers including U.S. Reps. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (NY-14), Ro Khanna (CA-17), Ilhan Omar (MN-05), and Jamaal Bowman (NY-16). The surprise success boosting urgently-needed NLRB funding and the call from President Biden during his 2023 State of the Union address for PRO Act passage further underscore the strong momentum for passing labor reform.

As Starbucks and Amazon union campaigns have sparked a national wave of worker activism with new union elections up 58 percent in just the first half of 2022, there has never been a more urgent time to ensure workers have an even playing field by fixing our outdated, broken labor laws. With CEOs spending $340 million a year on union-busting tactics to intimidate and silence workers seeking to form unions, the deck has never been more stacked against workers speaking out – and the PRO Act presents the best opportunity in generations to unrig our economy for working people.

Worker Power Coalition leaders are driving the new push for the PRO Act in 2023, including national unions and progressive and climate groups such as the Communications Workers of America, Sunrise Movement, Working Families Party, Indivisible, Democratic Socialists of America the International Union of Painters and Allied Trades (IUPAT), and dozens more advocacy, think tank, and small business organizations across the country.

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The Worker Power Coalition represents 24 million workers across the country and unites labor unions, grassroots organizations, businesses, worker advocates, think tanks, environmental activists, and more with the goal of strengthening labor laws, including passing the PRO Act to empower workers, strengthen their workplace protections, and increase their ability to use their voices collectively. Learn more at PassThePROAct.Org.

Funding boost will help avert staffing crisis and bolster corporate oversight to strengthen worker protections amid historic union wave at companies like Starbucks, Amazon

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, the Worker Power Coalition, a labor alliance with 24 million workers, praised the new omnibus spending bill just released by Congress, for boosting funding for the  National Labor Relations Board (NLRB). WPC leaders have been calling for the funding increase for months, most recently in a digital ad campaign targeting Congress and press conference last week with Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez and other lawmakers. Worker Power Coalition leaders welcomed the $25 million increase to the NLRB budget – the first funding boost in nearly 10 years – and called it long overdue after a funding freeze devastated the agency’s ability to do its job and enforce labor laws broken by giant corporations. 

As Starbucks and Amazon union campaigns have sparked a national wave of worker activism with new union elections up 58 percent in just the first half of 2022, the NLRB’s staff who oversee union elections and investigate abuses has been slashed by 30% since 2010 and 50% since 2002. And with CEOs spending $340 million a year on union-busting tactics to intimidate and silence workers seeking to form unions, the NLRB funding freeze has made it impossible for the agency to do its job and enforce full accountability for employers engaged in illegal suppression of worker rights.

CWA Secretary-Treasurer and Worker Power Coalition Co-Chair Sara Steffens; “Congress is finally ending the funding freeze for the National Labor Relations Board. As someone who was fired for union organizing, I know firsthand how dangerous it is to leave union-busting CEOs unchecked. Whether it’s Starbucks workers in Memphis, an Amazon warehouse worker in New York, or a Verizon retail worker in Seattle, far too many workers are being fired for exercising their right to form a union. With this urgently-needed budget boost, the NLRB can continue to enforce the law when corporations try to stop workers from joining together to improve their working conditions. We will continue to fight until the NLRB has the resources and changes to our labor laws it needs to truly hold billionaire CEOs accountable when they violate their workers’ rights. We urge lawmakers to swiftly pass this budget bill.”

IUPAT General President and Worker Power Coalition Co-Chair Jimmy Williams: “Today’s funding boost for the NLRB is long overdue. Workers across the construction industry report widespread harassment, intimidation, and bullying from bosses when they try to simply exercise their rights at work as guaranteed by law. For too long, the NLRB’s underfunding resulted in workers facing delays in getting a union vote or receiving justice for illegal retaliation or termination by employers. This is a critical step and we urge lawmakers to rush this budget to President Biden’s desk, and to recognize that much more must still be done to respond to this crisis and protect workers’ rights.”

BACKGROUND

The NLRB funding boost in the omnibus comes just days after Worker Power Coalition leaders called for action in a press conference with U.S. Reps. Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (NY-14), Ro Khanna (CA-17), Jamaal Bowman (NY-16), Ilhan Omar (MN-05), and Andy Levin (MI-09). As part of its national campaign to end the funding freeze for the NLRB, the Worker Power Coalition also launched a ten-day digital ad campaign targeting Congressional lawmakers on Facebook, Google, and Instagram.

Americans strongly back the right of workers to form a union, with a new 2022 poll showing 71 percent support labor unions, and a strong majority of workers support organizing a union at their own workplace, including 46 percent of Republicans.

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The Worker Power Coalition represents 24 million workers across the country and unites labor unions, grassroots organizations, businesses, worker advocates, think tanks, environmental activists, and more with the goal of strengthening labor laws, including passing the PRO Act to empower workers, strengthen their workplace protections, and increase their ability to use their voices collectively. Learn more at PassThePROAct.Org.

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, Congressional progressives joined with multiple International Union leaders representing the Worker Power Coalition, a labor alliance of 24 million workers across the country, in a dramatic final push to enforce full funding for the federal agency tasked with overseeing union elections and investigating illegal and retaliatory labor violations, the National Labor Relations Board.

The NLRB is the agency tasked with overseeing union elections and investigating illegal anti-union activity, but its funding has been frozen for almost a decade – a crisis having ripple effects across every sector of work in the country. The number of federal staff who oversee union elections and investigate abuses has been slashed by 50% since 2002, union petitions are up 53% this year over the year prior – and charges of Unfair Labor Practices were up 18% in that same period.

IUPAT International Union President Jimmy Williams and CWA Secretary-Treasurer Sara Steffens, co-Chairs of the Worker Power coalition, a national advocacy coalition with member organizations spanning labor, environmental, business, and community organizations, joined with U.S. Reps. Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (NY-14), Ro Khanna (CA-17), Jamaal Bowman (NY-16), Ilhan Omar (MN-05), and Andy Levin (MI-09) steps from the House of Representatives in Washington, laying a marker in the sand as Congress rushes to pass a government funding package before the holidays. Also this week, the Worker Power Coalition launched a new weeklong digital buy targeting Congressional lawmakers, with ads running on Facebook, Google, Instagram, and LinkedIn, as part of a larger national campaign to end the funding freeze for the NLRB. 

IUPAT General President and Worker Power Coalition Co-Chair Jimmy Williams: “Our country is experiencing a moment of mass worker organizing – 71% of Americans approve of unions and tens of millions of Americans would join a union right now if they could without retaliation or harassment. Workers across the construction industry report widespread harassment, intimidation, and bullying from bosses, when they try to simply exercise their rights at work as guaranteed by law. But the drastic under funding of the NLRB mean that many of these workers will face delays in getting a union vote or receiving justice for illegal retaliation or termination from their employers – which is why Congress must respond to this crisis to stand with workers and fully fund the NLRB with this urgent budget bill.”

CWA Secretary-Treasurer and Worker Power Coalition Co-Chair Sara Steffens; “As someone who was fired for union organizing, I know firsthand how dangerous it is to leave union-busting CEOs unchecked. Whether it’s Starbucks workers in Memphis, an Amazon warehouse worker in New York, or a Verizon retail worker in Seattle, the fact is that far too many workers are being fired for exercising their right to form a union and demand the better working conditions they have earned. The NLRB must receive the full funding it needs to hold these billionaire CEOs accountable. Every Democrat who made campaign promises to stand with workers needs to put action behind their words by ending the funding freeze and giving the NLRB the resources it needs to level the playing field for workers. The Worker Power Coalition and the 24 million workers we represent are watching, and if Democrats fail to stand with workers now, we will remember when we go to the ballot box in 2024.”

U.S. Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (NY-14): “We have to attack this problem with urgency. We can’t count on a Republican congress to prioritize labor. We have to pass this now.”

U.S. Rep. Ro Khanna (CA-17): “The NLRB is critical for protecting the rights of American workers and yet it hasn’t seen an increase in funding since 2014. Congress must step up and provide NLRB with the resources it needs to protect labor rights in this country.”

U.S. Rep. Ilhan Omar (MN-05): “From Starbucks workers in Minneapolis to Amazon workers in New York, we are seeing a massive rise in organizing and worker power at levels not seen in decades. We are also seeing big corporations and their CEOs routinely violate the law to bust unions and cling to their profits. It is the NLRB that holds these billionaire CEOs accountable when they try to stand in the way of worker power. But they are under threat from Republicans who want to weaken them and undermine their work. Despite the NLRB’s vital mission, the Board has received the same flat funding for nine consecutive years now—effectively a 25 percent cut since 2010. We will not stop fighting to ensure that they have the resources they need to hold these union busters accountable and make sure everyone’s basic rights to organize and collectively bargain are protected.” 

U.S. Rep. Jamaal Bowman, Ed.D. (NY-16): “Fully funding the National Labor Relations Board should be a non-negotiable for Democrats in this year’s budget. This is a critical moment for Democrats to live up to our values and stand in solidarity with workers across the country. The NLRB is vital to protecting workers from unlawful and inhumane unfair labor practices by big corporations who care more about padding their billions in profits than about protecting basic human rights and treating their workers with dignity. At a time when we are seeing a historic surge both in organizing and in despicable union-busting activities, we cannot allow full funding for the NLRB to be deprioritized. If we can pass hundreds of billions of dollars for the Defense budget, the very least we can do is adequately fund the NLRB to protect the workers whose labor forms the backbone of our economy. We must hold big corporations and billionaires accountable for trampling over workers’ rights.”

U.S. Rep. Donald Norcross (NJ-01): “America’s workers and businesses are stronger with a fully-funded National Labor Relations Board. Flat budgets have seen the NLRB crippled by inflation and rising costs, putting its ability to fully implement its mission to protect workers’ rights at risk. Continuing to neglect this critical independent federal agency is a disservice to the hardworking women and men who keep our nation running at every level and every sector of our economy.”
U.S. Rep. Andy Levin (MI-09): “What better Christmas present could the worst actors ask for than an understaffed NLRB that simply doesn’t have the people power to oversee prompt elections or investigate firings and other forms of intimidation and unfair dealings? Congress must push for full funding for the NLRB—now!”

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The Worker Power Coalition represents 24 million workers across the country and unites labor unions, grassroots organizations, businesses, worker advocates, think tanks, environmental activists, and more with the goal of strengthening labor laws, including passing the PRO Act to empower workers, strengthen their workplace protections, and increase their ability to use their voices collectively. Learn more at PassThePROAct.Org.

Election night returns show Democratic path to victory for future years will hinge increasingly on action for economic justice issues for the working class

WASHINGTON, D.C. – The success of Democrats in avoiding the sweeping GOP “red wave” predicted in the midterm elections reflects the leadership of Democrats on key worker rights issues, and Democratic candidates’ commitment to passing pro-worker legislation like the historic Protecting the Right to Organize (PRO) Act. The results match with recent Worker Power Coalition polling which revealed that voters in battleground states, particularly young voters, want Congress to take more action to improve worker rights – a clear indication of the need for Democrats to continue taking actionable steps to advance protections for Americans in the workplace. 

As the country continues to experience the highest levels of union activism and enthusiasm in decades amidst high profile organizing campaigns at Starbucks, Amazon, and more, the path to victory for Democrats in Congress hinges on catching up to the energy their base has on these issues with concrete policy actions. Democratic candidates who ran on platforms centered around pro-worker policies won in competitive races across the country – including John Fetterman and Summer Lee in Pennsylvania, Maxwell Frost in Florida, Delia Ramirez in Illinois, and Greg Casar in Texas. Pro-worker ballot measures for minimum wage increases also won in Nebraska, Nevada, and Washington, D.C., and a worker rights measure in Illinois further underscored the power of labor as an issue for Democratic voter turnout. Michigan Democrats ran on a pro-worker agenda and won back control of the state legislature for the first time in nearly 40 years, paving the way to strengthen worker rights by repealing the state’s anti-union “right-to-work” law.

The American people understand that the economy in this country is rigged against them. If Democrats don’t embrace pro-worker economic fairness as a central plank of their battleground messaging and legislative agenda, they will face an even tougher electoral map in 2024.

Sara Steffens, CWA Secretary-Treasurer; Worker Power Coalition Steering Committee Member: “Over the past few months, working people who have been organizing on the job to join unions mobilized in their communities alongside other union members to elect candidates who share our democratic values. These workers have shown the country that our labor laws are broken and that we must join together to reign in the power that corporations have over too many aspects of our lives. The Biden Administration is focused on rebuilding the middle class by removing barriers to union membership. Now, Congressional Democrats must take up that mantle and continue to rebuild the trust of middle class voters by passing popular, pro-worker policies like those in the Protecting the Right to Organize Act.” 

Jimmy Williams, IUPAT General President; Worker Power Coalition Steering Committee Member: “Throughout this year, workers are organizing at historic levels to fight for a seat at the table – not only in the halls of Congress, but also in the bosses’ office. With giant corporations spending millions to stop workers from exercising their right to form a union and radical politicians attacking the very foundations of our democracy, now is the time for Democrats to continue to deliver on their promises to level the playing field. Working people are on the move, and if Democrats want to cement their identity as the party of the working class, now is the time to prove it.”

Varshini Prakash, Sunrise Movement Executive Director; Worker Power Coalition Steering Committee Member: “We know that a green just economy is the only future our world survives in, and that an intersectional, sustainable economic platform is one that serves the poor, the working class, the underprivileged. Democratic candidates who won on Tuesday ran on a platform that puts climate and economic justice first. With control of Congress on the line, Democrats must fully embrace the Green New Deal to power our fight against climate change by strengthening worker rights and creating the green union jobs our economy and communities need.”

Nelini Stamp, Working Families Party Director of Strategy; Worker Power Coalition Steering Committee Member: “Americans know that the economy in this country is rigged against them, and that is why Democrats who ran on a pro-worker agenda won in so many battleground races on Tuesday. But with many races still too close to call, it is clear that much more must be done by Democrats to demonstrate their commitment to the millions of American workers who made their voices heard in this election. If Democrats do not embrace pro-worker economic fairness as a central plank of their legislative agenda in Congress, you can bet they will face an even tougher election map in 2024.”

Sydney Ghazarian, Democratic Socialists of America, National Political Committee Member; Worker Power Coalition Steering Committee Member: “Labor union organizing is surging across the country, and worker unions are currently more popular than they have been in  50 years. Any party seeking to win an election right now must center a clear, concise vision of change that will transfer power out of the hands of corporate oligarchs and back into the hands of working people. No matter who controls Congress next year, voters will be watching to see which party steps up with an agenda that promises bold action to dismantle the decades of unjust laws rigging the economy against us.”

Leah Greenberg, Indivisible Co-Executive Director; Worker Power Coalition Steering Committee Member: “People know that big corporations are rigging the rules of the economy to squeeze more and more out of them, and they want political leaders who will forcefully stand on their side. With control of Congress hanging by a thread as final votes are counted, it is clear that for Democrats to build a majority-winning coalition, they must continue to embrace an economic policy platform that centers the hardships working people experience – and champion legislation like the PRO Act to finally unrig our system. ”

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The Worker Power Coalition represents 24 million workers across the country and unites labor unions, grassroots organizations, businesses, worker advocates, think tanks, environmental activists, and more with the goal of strengthening labor laws, including passing the PRO Act to empower workers, strengthen their workplace protections, and increase their ability to use their voices collectively. Learn more at PassThePROAct.Org.

Coalition of labor unions representing 24 million workers, environmental groups, and progressive advocacy organizations say new trends demonstrate need for Congress boost of NLRB funding to protect workers, structural changes to dangerously outdated federal labor laws 

WASHINGTON, D.C. – The Worker Power Coalition, a national table representing 24 million workers and dozens of progressive, labor, and environmental advocacy organizations, says the new revelations contained in yesterday’s NLRB report demonstrate an urgent need for Congress to immediately boost fundings for the agency mandated to protect workers rights – and for Senate passage of the landmark bipartisan labor reform legislation, the PRO Act. 

The new NLRB report reveals that in 2022, workers filed 2,510 union representation petitions – a 53% spike from the 1,638 petitions filed by workers in 2021 and the highest number since 2016. The report also sheds fresh insight into the scale of corporate employers attacks in response to those filings,  with Unfair Labor Practices (ULP) charges also skyrocketing this year to almost 18,000 submitted by workers – a nearly 20% surge compared to 2021. Combined, the NLRB said its caseload jumped 23 percent in 2022 and was the largest single-year increase since the 1976 fiscal year. 

Illegal union-busting tactics being used by employers like Amazon, Starbucks, Apple and Activision Blizzard continue to dominate national headlines as more and more workers try to organize for their rights, yet the NLRB lacks the funding resource to investigate widespread harassment, retaliation, and termination of workers exerting their protected right to concerted union activity. The new NLRB numbers underscore the consequences of their funding crisis precipitating across the country – and why America’s labor movement is demanding that Congress immediately act to increase funding for the NLRB so it has what it needs to carry out its mandate to protect workers’ rights. 

Worker Power Coalition National Co-Chair Sara Steffens: “Workers at companies like Amazon, Starbucks, Apple and Activision Blizzard are forming unions and leading a national wave of activism to demand better pay and job safety, but they are facing illegal retaliation and CEOs are spending millions on private union-busting firms to try to stop them. This report proves that this surge in worker organizing is the largest in more than 50 years. The NLRB’s mandate is to protect workers’ rights and encourage collective bargaining, but Congress has refused to increase funding for the agency for nearly a decade, even as multi-billion dollar companies wage ruthless union-busting campaigns to silence their workers. Enough is enough. It’s time for the Senate to wake up to this broken system and increase funding for the NLRB so that these CEOs are held accountable.”

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The Worker Power Coalition represents 24 million workers across the country and unites labor unions, grassroots organizations, businesses, worker advocates, think tanks, environmental activists, and more with the goal of strengthening labor laws, including passing the PRO Act to empower workers, strengthen their workplace protections, and increase their ability to use their voices collectively. Learn more at PassThePROAct.Org.

As legislative calendar winds down, coalition representing 24 million workers and dozens of progressive organizations turns up pressure in demands for a Senate vote on the marquee labor legislation

New 2022 poll shows 87% of young voters in battleground states more likely to back pro-worker candidates in midterm election 

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Pressure is on for the U.S. Senate, as a national coalition of labor, environmental justice, and progressive organizations representing 24 million workers turns up the heat on their demand for a vote on the landmark labor reform legislation, the Protecting the Right to Organize (PRO) Act. As potentially illegal harassment, retaliation, and union-busting by Amazon, Starbucks, and Apple continues to make headlines, advocates say that millions of workers across the country can’t afford to keep waiting for the Senate to take action.

Over the past seven weeks, the Worker Power Coalition – a diverse coalition made up of dozens of powerhouse progressive organizations including environmental justice groups, think tanks, grassroots organizations, and major labor unions – has mobilized members across the country with rolling in-district direct actions in the top 2022 battleground swing states.

In a new Worker Power Coalition 2022 poll, 87% of young voters under 40 say that a top issue motivating them to vote is support for workers’ rights – further underscoring the strong public support for a Senate vote on the PRO Act. In fact, the new data shows that this voting bloc is fueling the ongoing surge of Democratic over-performance in this fall’s most hotly-contested Senate races. 

Worker Power Coalition delegations met with Senate Democrats in Arizona, Colorado, Georgia, New Hampshire, Nevada, and Virginia, and held actions pressing Senate Republicans in Ohio, Wisconsin, and Florida to back the bill. The multi-state mobilization campaign has been the largest organizing effort of WPC to date, and demonstrates the growing momentum and consensus amongst the left for a vote this congress on the urgently needed legislation. 

In a joint letter to Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer and Senate Democratic leadership, more than 50 progressive organizations represented in the Worker Power Coalition joined together to call on leaders to take action and hold a vote on the popular legislation. As the 2022 legislative clock ticks down, the window for a vote in this congress on the bipartisan bill, which already passed the House of Representatives, could be the best chance in generations to meaningfully reform America’s broken federal labor laws.

Sunrise Movement Executive Director Varshini Prakash: “The PRO Act is a core pillar of the Green New Deal. We can’t fairly mobilize our economy to stop the climate crisis without passing comprehensive labor law reform and guaranteeing every worker the right to organize. Schumer must use his power to bring this popular piece of legislation to the floor and demonstrate his commitment to workers all across the country.” 

Indivisible Project Co-Founder and Co-Executive Director Leah Greenberg: “In the face of right-wing extremism seeking to undermine our democracy, it gives me hope that people across the country are fighting back – including workers standing up against big corporations, exercising democracy in the workplace. People are desperate for Democratic Senators to stand side-by-side with them in this struggle and take action. Passing the Protecting the Right to Organize Act would level the playing field for these workers, and show people which side the Senate Democrats are on.”

Communications Workers of America Secretary-Treasurer Sara Steffens: “We must do everything possible to support the growing number of workers who are joining together to improve their workplaces. Our labor laws are outdated and broken. Employers flagrantly violate workers’ rights, hold mandatory anti-union meetings, and intimidate and even fire workers for organizing. Workers need for the Senate to pass the Protecting the Right to Organize Act now so they can organize for safer jobs, better working conditions, and higher pay.”

Background: 

The COVID-19 pandemic exposed the need for workers to have a voice on their safety and working conditions. Now, inflation is causing economic hardship for working people around the nation. The time is now for Congress to enact common sense reforms to our labor laws and give workers a real voice at their jobs. The PRO Act is the best chance in decades to shift power away from corporate interests and to everyday Americans who work to provide for their families.

The PRO Act passed the House in March 2021 with bipartisan support and would protect workers’ rights to a free and fair election on forming a union and holding employers accountable for increasingly widespread interference, intimidation, and retaliation.

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The Worker Power Coalition represents 24 million workers across the country and unites labor unions, grassroots organizations, businesses, worker advocates, think tanks, environmental activists, and more with the goal of strengthening labor laws, including passing the PRO Act to empower workers, strengthen their workplace protections, and increase their ability to use their voices collectively.

87% of young voters in Arizona, Colorado, Georgia, North Carolina, New Hampshire, Nevada, Ohio, Pennsylvania, and Wisconsin more likely to back pro-worker candidates

New poll shows Democratic support for workers’ rights is a key component in midterm over-performance; more action could expand electorate with younger voters

WASHINGTON, D.C. – In a new Senate battleground states poll released today, 87% of young voters under 40 say that a top issue motivating them to vote is support for workers’ rights – and the new data shows that this voting bloc is fueling the ongoing surge of Democratic over-performance in this fall’s most hotly-contested Senate races.

A new poll by Hart Research found that Democratic candidates have an overall lead in Senate battleground races, but their advantage is provided entirely by a 28-point lead amongst young voters. The poll was commissioned by the Worker Power Coalition and the Communications Workers of America. The Worker Power Coalition is the largest U.S. labor-progressive alliance in the country, representing 24 million workers. 

With worker rights emerging as one of the most energizing 2022 issues activating young voters – a key demographic whose turnout traditionally has faltered during non-Presidential election cycles – labor rights are a critical piece of a Democratic path to victory in November.

Young voter turnout was key to Democratic victories in the 2018 and 2020 elections, but this age group is less likely than voters over 40 to participate this year. Senate Democratic candidates are mounting surprisingly strong challenges in GOP-held seats in Pennsylvania, Wisconsin, Ohio, North Carolina and Florida and leading with razor-thin margins in Georgia, Nevada, and Arizona. Polling results indicate that candidates could drive up the youth vote further by embracing the landmark labor legislation, the Protecting the Right to Organize (PRO) Act, and focusing on lifting workers’ wages.

“As Democrats face a highly competitive 2022 election map for the Senate and House, this poll demonstrates that candidates can mobilize young voters by helping to lift workers’ wages and protect their rights,” said Guy Molyneux, Hart Research partner and senior pollster. “Young voter support for the PRO Act labor reform bill is off the charts at 85%. Even among Trump 2020 voters  and conservative voters, support for labor reform is significant. With battleground Senate races a toss-up among voters over 40, this poll should be encouraging for Democrats that energizing young voters by leading on worker rights would be a game-changer this November.”

The poll found that 87% of voters under 40 ranked worker rights as one of the top issues that will motivate them to vote for Democrats in November, alongside other popular galvanizing issues such as abortion rights, climate change, and student debt.

The polling comes as Starbucks and Amazon union campaigns have sparked a national wave of worker activism and put a spotlight on the high consequences of illegal union-busting by multi-billion dollar corporations, illustrating how Democratic engagement on the issue could be the key to their party retaining or expanding control of the Senate.

“There’s a clear message in this poll,” said Jimmy Williams, General President of IUPAT. “Young workers want the protections they’d get from the PRO Act. If we want to drive young voter turnout in November, Congress needs to show action on legislation important to young voters.” 

The poll, conducted by Hart Research, surveyed 1,502 likely voters – including 822 young voters aged 18-39 – in the 2022 battleground states of Arizona, Colorado, Georgia, North Carolina, New Hampshire, Nevada, Ohio, Pennsylvania, and Wisconsin. The survey has a credibility interval (which is similar to a margin of error) of +/-3.0% for all voters, and +/-3.5% for young voters.

The survey shows that support for the PRO Act cuts across party lines even in the tightest toss-up races in the country – a sign that a fall vote on the popular legislation could provide much-needed headwinds for vulnerable Democrats in swing states and districts. 

Young workers are driving a trend of historically high support for unions, with Gallup recently reporting 71% of Americans support labor unions, the highest level in nearly 60 years. 

“Now more than ever, young workers see unions as their best shot at higher wages and better working conditions, but until we pass the Protecting the Right To Organize Act, they are up against employers who are retaliating with impunity,” said Communications Workers of America Secretary-Treasurer Sara Steffens. “If young workers are going to turn out and vote for Democrats, they need evidence beyond just words of support that candidates are on their side. A Senate vote to pass the Protecting the Right to Organize Act will prove that Democrats mean what they say when it comes to workers rights.” 

Background: 

Today’s new Worker Power Coalition 2022 battleground states poll highlights a wide range of key findings on young voters less than two months before the midterm election: 

Democrats hold narrow lead across 2022 battleground states, but voters under 40 are key to their lead

• Across the surveyed states, Democratic candidates lead 48%-42% in Senate races
• The Democratic lead is fueled by a 28-point lead among voters under 40; GOP candidates hold a narrow 3-point edge among voters over 40 
• Despite the Democratic lead, there is a 9-point Republican advantage among Party ID
• 89% of young voters say they are likely to vote in the 2022 midterm election

Worker rights are an issue key to galvanizing turnout from voters under 40 in 2022 

• 87% of young voters say they are more likely to support a Congressional candidate who supports strong legal protections for workers’ rights 
• 77% of young voters prefer a pro-union candidate over an anti-union candidate

Young voter turnout could be shored up more by action from Senate on the PRO Act labor reform legislation in Congress

• 69% of voters across all age groups support the PRO Act labor reform bill
• 85% of young voters support the PRO Act, which would: 
  • protect workers’ right to speak out about low wages, unsafe conditions, or other problems in the workplace, without intimidation or retaliation from their employer. It would also strengthen workers’ ability to form a union in their workplace to negotiate for better pay and benefits, safety protections, schedules, and other conditions
• 64% of young voters say if a Democrat supports the PRO Act, they are more likely to vote for them over a Republican who opposes the PRO Act
• After hearing about Democrats who support the PRO Act:
  • Young voter trust in Democrats’ on worker rights surged to 63%, up from 54%
  • Young voter trust in Democrats’ on ensuring wages and salaries keep up with the cost of living surged to 57%, up from 49% 

Young Voters on Unions and Worker Rights

• 82% of young voters support workers negotiating as a group with their employer over pay, benefits, and working conditions 
• 80% of young voters approve of labor unions
• 78% of young voters are more likely to support a Democrat who wants to strengthen protections for workers who speak out about low wages, unsafe conditions, or other concerns on the job from retaliation by their employer
• 71% of young voters are more likely to support a Democrat who wants to increase penalties on companies that illegally fire employees for union activity
• 70% of young voters support the 2022 surge in workers unionizing 
• 68% of young voters would strongly support a Democrat who says workers should not be punished for coming together to speak up for their rights
• 65% of young voters are more likely to support a Democrat who wants to end tax breaks that companies receive for expenses related to union-busting

Republicans Lose Youth Vote on Worker Rights

• 62% of young voters are less likely to support a Republican who wants to allow employers to retaliate against workers who speak out about low wages, unsafe conditions, or other concerns on the job
• 62% of young voters are less likely to support a Republican who opposes protections for workers who speak out about low wages, unsafe conditions, or other concerns on the job from retaliation by their employer

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The Worker Power Coalition represents 24 million workers across the country and unites labor unions, grassroots organizations, businesses, worker advocates, think tanks, environmental activists, and more with the goal of strengthening labor laws, including passing the PRO Act to empower workers, strengthen their workplace protections, and increase their ability to use their voices collectively. Learn more at PassThePROAct.Org.

Advocates representing 24 million workers nationwide slam legislation just introduced that would permanently misclassify millions of app based workers: “Dangerous and designed to deny fair pay and protections”

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, America’s largest labor and progressive coalition representing 24 million workers slammed new federal legislation just introduced and backed by Uber and Lyft. The coalition warned the so-called “Worker Flexibility and Choice Act” is an anti-worker proposal intended to further endanger already vulnerable gig economy workers, calling it an attempt by Rep. Henry Cuellar (D TX-28) and multibillion dollar corporations to bring Silicon Valley’s union-busting playbook to the federal stage.

The Worker Power Coalition, which represents 40 labor and social justice organizations including app-based worker advocacy group Rideshare Drivers United, warns the proposal would permanently codify the misclassification of workers across the gig industry – a move intended to ensure rideshare drivers and delivery workers are denied basic labor protections like health insurance and sick time while continuing to receive poverty pay on the front lines of the pandemic. 

“Uber and Lyft poured $200 million into Prop 22 in California to take away our rights to unemployment benefits, workplace safety and sick time. All during a global pandemic. Now they’re trying to do it federally,” said Nicole Moore, a part-time Lyft driver and the President of Rideshare Drivers United. “Legalizing the misclassification of app-based workers would deny hundreds of thousands of workers essential workplace protections, and amount to billions of dollars in corporate handouts to a multi-billion dollar industry.”

Although Uber and Lyft have claimed the bill is bipartisan, the only Democrat backing it is Rep. Henry Cuellar, the only Democrat in the House to vote against the Protecting the Right to Organize (PRO) Act and an infamously anti-worker lawmaker who was nearly thrown out of office after being forced into primary run-off.

“The latest attack on working people by Rep. Cuellar is proof positive that elections matter,” says International Union of Painters and Allied Trades President Jimmy Williams. “Rep. Cuellar voted against the PRO Act, which would fix worker misclassification, to side with billionaire executives in Silicon Valley over his constituents. Uber and Lyft are spending hundreds of millions of dollars at the state and national levels to try to ensure they don’t have to play by the same rules as every other employer. The House has acted: now, the time has never been more urgent for the Senate to hold a vote for the passage of the PRO Act.”

The PRO Act would hold mega corporations like Uber and Lyft accountable for illegally retaliating against workers speaking out about their workplace issues, and allow them to be classified as full employees and to unionize for better pay and job safety. For national labor unions, the PRO Act has emerged as a key litmus test for the 2022 midterms amid rampant union-busting by Starbucks and Amazon, which has highlighted America’s broken labor laws. The bipartisan PRO Act eliminates worker misclassification widespread in the gig economy and ensures protections for freelancers.

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The Worker Power Coalition represents 24 million workers across the country and unites labor unions, grassroots organizations, businesses, worker advocates, think tanks, environmental activists, and more with the goal of strengthening labor laws, including passing the PRO Act to empower workers, strengthen their workplace protections, and increase their ability to use their voices collectively.