The Rebuild America Act, by Reps. Rosa DeLauro, D-Conn., and Bruce Braley, D-Iowa, also includes – among other things – $20,000 fines on employers for each case of unfair labor practices. It narrows the definition of “independent contractors” who are now unprotected by labor laws and wage laws and who don’t get workers comp.
Their measure also would establish a national manufacturing strategy and add programs for retrofitting schools and buildings to make them energy efficient, thus creating thousands of jobs. And it would order that core labor rights – and strong enforcement – must be part of all future trade pacts, and would let the U.S. impose tariffs on nations that undervalue their currency to gain trade advantages.
DeLauro and Braley said their legislation is companion to a similar package by Senate Labor Committee Chairman Thomas Harkin, D-Iowa. But neither piece of legislation is expected to move into general debate in this Congress. The calendar is jammed, the GOP controls the House and its filibusters rule, and tie up, the Senate.
That didn’t stop DeLauro and Braley from touting their legislation. Organized labor has already come out for Harkin’s bill, which he discussed at several union legislative conferences earlier in 2012.
“The bill invests in our future through three main tenets,” explained DeLauro, who has a longtime reputation for vote-counting prowess among lawmakers. One is “investment to foster jobs and growth,” primarily in manufacturing, energy efficiency and infrastructure construction. The second is “creating financial stability for middle-class families,” and the third is “restoring fairness to the tax code.”
They also want to raise the federal minimum wage, now $7.25 hourly, to $8.10, $8.95 and $9.80 over three years, and then index it to inflation after that.
DeLauro added the legislation “stands in direct contrast to the vision for America (that) Republicans are pushing: Slashing the social safety net to fund tax cuts for the wealthy. She declared that “debate in Washington has gone on for too long. We need to stop talking and start implementing solutions to get America back to work.”
“Congress has been paralyzed by inaction, but this common-sense plan can appeal to people regardless of partisanship,” added Braley.
This article was written by Press Associates, Inc., news service. Used by permission.
Share
The Rebuild America Act, by Reps. Rosa DeLauro, D-Conn., and Bruce Braley, D-Iowa, also includes – among other things – $20,000 fines on employers for each case of unfair labor practices. It narrows the definition of “independent contractors” who are now unprotected by labor laws and wage laws and who don’t get workers comp.
Their measure also would establish a national manufacturing strategy and add programs for retrofitting schools and buildings to make them energy efficient, thus creating thousands of jobs. And it would order that core labor rights – and strong enforcement – must be part of all future trade pacts, and would let the U.S. impose tariffs on nations that undervalue their currency to gain trade advantages.
DeLauro and Braley said their legislation is companion to a similar package by Senate Labor Committee Chairman Thomas Harkin, D-Iowa. But neither piece of legislation is expected to move into general debate in this Congress. The calendar is jammed, the GOP controls the House and its filibusters rule, and tie up, the Senate.
That didn’t stop DeLauro and Braley from touting their legislation. Organized labor has already come out for Harkin’s bill, which he discussed at several union legislative conferences earlier in 2012.
“The bill invests in our future through three main tenets,” explained DeLauro, who has a longtime reputation for vote-counting prowess among lawmakers. One is “investment to foster jobs and growth,” primarily in manufacturing, energy efficiency and infrastructure construction. The second is “creating financial stability for middle-class families,” and the third is “restoring fairness to the tax code.”
They also want to raise the federal minimum wage, now $7.25 hourly, to $8.10, $8.95 and $9.80 over three years, and then index it to inflation after that.
DeLauro added the legislation “stands in direct contrast to the vision for America (that) Republicans are pushing: Slashing the social safety net to fund tax cuts for the wealthy. She declared that “debate in Washington has gone on for too long. We need to stop talking and start implementing solutions to get America back to work.”
“Congress has been paralyzed by inaction, but this common-sense plan can appeal to people regardless of partisanship,” added Braley.
This article was written by Press Associates, Inc., news service. Used by permission.