Biden: Promises Kept / Promises Broken: on Jobs

ANALYSIS:This fulfills the promise as far it can go by executive order. While it will put pressure on the private sector to keep pace, ensuring a $15 wage for non-government contractors would require legislation.]

Joe Biden: Support union organizing at Amazon and elsewhere

PROMISE KEPT: (The Hill, Feb. 28, 2021): President Biden offered his support to union organizing efforts as Amazon workers at an Alabama warehouse vote on whether to unionize. "I made it clear when I was running that my administration's policy would be to support unions organizing and the right to collectively bargain," Biden said. "I'm keeping that promise. Let me be really clear: it's not up to me to decide whether anyone should join a union," he added. "But let me be even more clear: it's not up to an employer to decide that either. The choice to join a union is up to the workers--full stop."

Joe Biden: Extended unemployment benefits for COVID, to contractors too

PROMISE KEPT: (CNN March 6, 2021): The Senate version calls for providing a $300 federal boost to weekly jobless payments and extending two key pandemic unemployment benefits programs through September 6. The agreement would also make the first $10,200 worth of benefits payments tax-free for households with annual incomes less than $150,000.

OnTheIssues ANALYSIS: The extended unemployment benefits under previous legislation was scheduled to end in mid-March [and may get extended again beyond September 6]. The unemployment benefit applies to independent contractors, who are normally ineligible for unemployment.