Labor Caucus Co-Chairs Introduce Worker Protection Legislation
WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, Congressional Labor Caucus Co-Chairs Reps. Debbie Dingell (MI-06), Steven Horsford (NV-04), Mark Pocan (WI-02), and Donald Norcross (NJ-01) joined Education and Workforce Committee Ranking Member Robert C. “Bobby” Scott (VA-03) to reintroduce the Labor Enforcement to Securely (LET’S) Protect Workers Act. This legislation would significantly increase penalties for employers that violate workers’ labor and employment rights – including penalties for laws regarding workplace health and safety, collective bargaining and organizing, child labor, and more.
“Far too often, bad employers break our labor laws by violating safety standards or retaliating against workers for union organizing, and yet they get off with a mere slap on the wrist,” said the Co-Chairs. “Today, we’re introducing legislation that would finally establish meaningful penalties to protect workers and hold bad actors accountable. Every day, working people bravely organize for fairer workplaces, and lawmakers need to have their backs. We’re calling on every one of our colleagues to join us in supporting this legislation and fighting for workers.”
Specifically, the LET’S Protect Workers Act would increase civil monetary penalties for violating child labor, minimum wage and overtime, worker health and safety, and farmworker protection standards. This legislation would also set new penalties for violations of mental health parity in employer-sponsored health plans, wage-and-hour retaliation and recordkeeping, and certain violations of the Family and Medical Leave Act. Additionally, it would close a loophole that allows employers to escape penalties for failing to keep records of workplace injuries if OSHA does not detect the violation within six months. Finally, the legislation would authorize, for the first time, civil monetary penalties for employers who violate the National Labor Relations Act, consistent with the bipartisan PRO Act (H.R. 20).
The LET’S Protect Workers Act is endorsed by the AFL-CIO, American Federation of Teachers (AFT), AFSCME, Child Labor Coalition, Communications Workers of America (CWA), Economic Policy Institute (EPI), Family Values @ Work, International Association of Sheet Metal, Air, Rail and Transportation Workers (SMART), National Consumers League, National Employment Law Project (NELP), Service Employees International Union (SEIU), Transport Workers Union of America (TWU), UNITE HERE, United Auto Workers (UAW), United Mine Workers of America (UMWA), United Steelworkers (USW)
The full text of the legislation can be found here.