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Protect Labor Rights

Workers deserve fair wages, safe workplace conditions, and equitable treatment by employers.  The fact that we have any of this today is because of organized labor.  Organized labor built the society we enjoy today and is still on the front lines of fights for equity and dignity.  

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I’ve been a union leader, serving as Vice President of NTEU 209.  I’ve fought for my fellow members at the bargaining table.  I’ve represented employees against management to protect employees.  And I’ve seen how my union made my federal agency a better place to work and more effective at its job. 

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Strong unions make for a strong economy, at both the national level and the local level.  As the Ward 3 Councilmember, I will be a champion of collective bargaining rights and increasing union density. 

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As your Councilmember, I will propose legislation to:

  • Provide tax credits for union dues;

  • Protect workers from employers looking to revoke workers’ health insurance during strikes;

  • Lower the financial threshold for requiring Project Labor Agreements;

  • Establish first-in-the-nation prevailing wage laws;

  • Codify definitions in the DC Code to protect workers and reduce bargaining power of contractors during PLA negotiations;

  • Reduce Public Employee Relations Board processing time of unfair labor practice complaints;

  • Amend DCPS’s IMPACT performance review process to reduce subjectivity and provide a longer runway to review and more counseling along the way;

  • Extend private sector worker compensation rules to public sector workers;

  • Permit arbitration awards to be enforceable in court, rather than through PERB;

  • Expand vocational opportunities (below).

 

Expand vocational opportunities

Expand UDC’s Workforce Development programming. Many of our union locals provide excellent apprenticeship opportunities for those going into the trades. If elected, I will bring UDC and unions together for strategic partnerships to ensure that UDC’s workforce development programming is expanded from carpentry and electrical work to plumbing and pipefitting, taught by certified union members. We have a lot of talented youth in the District who would excel and likely find their calling in the trades, but who just don’t know of the option. Partnering with unions will ensure that those participating in our workforce development will have a leg up when it comes to getting good paying union jobs.

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