OnTheIssuesLogo

Thomas Perez on Jobs

 

 


Inequitable that women still not receiving equal pay

Maryland has made considerable advances in the fight for gender equity compared to other states, but there are still significant inequities that often prevent women from reaching their full potential. Women in Maryland typically make just 86% of their male counterparts earnings, which is higher than the national average of 82%. For women of color, the pay gap is even wider. At the current rate, it's projected that it will take until the year 2043 for women in our state to receive equal pay.
Source: 2021 Maryland Governor campaign website TomPerez.com , Jul 18, 2021

Expand Maryland business-based job training program

EARN MD is a sector-based, demand-driven workforce solution grant program that funds efforts conceived by business with a job waiting at the end of the training. It is time to take EARN to the next level by:
Source: 2021 Maryland Governor campaign website TomPerez.com , Jul 18, 2021

75 months in a row of private sector job growth & 14M jobs

I think it's important to point out where we were, where we are, and where we need to go. When this president took office, we were in the worst ditch of our lifetime. And under the president's leadership we have climbed out of that, 75 months in a row of private sector job growth to the tune of over 14 million jobs. We have a lot of unfinished business. There are still too many people who aren't feeling the wind that is at our back.

The key moving forward here is to build on that progress and build an America that indeed can work for everyone, and not simply a few at the top. And that's what Hillary Clinton is about, a message of inclusion and opportunity for everyone. Breaking down barriers building bridges, not walls. An infrastructure plan is not building a wall along the Mexican border.

Source: ABC This Week 2016 on Veepstakes candidates , Jun 26, 2016

Fight for 15: raise federal AND state minimum wage

Q: What has been the impact in the many states and cities that have raised the minimum wage significantly already?

PEREZ: If you talked about the "Fight for 15" movement, people laughed about it. "Oh, that's just SEATAC out in Washington State." Well, that brush fire turned into a prairie fire that's been an out and out wildfire, a furnace. Now roughly 20% of the US population lives in a state or locality that either has passed, or is about to pass, a $15 minimum wage. And I talked to a lot of my Republican friends here in D.C., and I say, "Boy, that 10/10 that you refused to pass, it kind of looks like pocket change now, doesn't it?" We need a federal floor which vindicates the basic principle of the Fair Labor Standards Act that nobody who works a full time job should have to live in poverty. And then we need to have the opportunity for state and local governments to go higher than that for it to reflect what's happening in their communities.

Source: Perez speech at National Press Club , Jun 22, 2016

Long-overdue increase in the minimum wage, and index it

We got into this hole through poor public policy choices, and we can climb out of it by making better ones. It starts with a long-overdue increase in the minimum wage. Fifty years ago, a minimum wage salary could support a family; today it can barely keep the lights on. That's why we need to raise the minimum wage and index it to inflation going forward--to ensure that the purchasing power of working families keeps pace with the rising cost of living.

This is the right thing to do for workers, and it's also the smart thing to do to grow the economy. From coast to coast, I talk to employers who are paying above minimum wage because they know that an investment in their employees is an investment in their own bottom line. Popular, grass-roots support for a higher minimum wage is surging nationwide, leading to bold action at the state and local level--minimum wage increases took effect in 20 states on the first of the year.

Source: Obama Cabinet: AFL-CIO National Summit on Raising Wages , Jan 7, 2015

Include homecare workers in minimum wage & overtime laws

Until the administration acted last month, one category of workers couldn't even get the minimum wage guarantee--home care workers who are becoming increasingly important in an aging society where seniors and people with disabilities want to remain in their homes. Because of an exemption in the law whereby these professional workers were classified as "companions," they had been denied basic employment rights. And roughly 40% of them, despite long hours of grueling work, have to turn to public assistance to supplement their incomes and support their families. But our new regulation now provides these workers-90% of them women and nearly half of them people of color--with basic workplace protections like minimum wage and overtime.
Source: Obama Cabinet: Half in Ten Anti-Poverty Report Release , Oct 29, 2013

Full-time minimum wage workers should not live in poverty

President Obama has put raising the minimum wage near the top of his economic agenda. It's just unconscionable that, in the wealthiest nation on earth, hard-working people putting in 40 hours a week live in poverty. They shouldn't have to lay awake at night sick with worry about whether they're going to pay the rent or heat their home this month. They shouldn't have to live one minor setback away from destitution and desperation.
Source: Obama Cabinet: Half in Ten Anti-Poverty Report Release , Oct 29, 2013

Other governors on Jobs: Thomas Perez on other issues:
MD Gubernatorial:
Alec Ross
Ashwani Jain
Ben Jealous
Doug Gansler
John B. King
John Delaney
Kelly M. Schulz
Larry Hogan
Martin O`Malley
Maya Cummings
Peter Franchot
Richard Madaleno
Robert Ehrlich
Robin Ficker
Rushern Baker
Shawn Quinn
MD Senatorial:
Arvin Vohra
Benjamin Cardin
Chelsea Manning
Chris Van Hollen
Donna Edwards
Kathy Szeliga
Margaret Flowers
Michael Steele
Richard Douglas
Sam Faddis
Tony Campbell
Gubernatorial Debates 2021:
CA Recall:
S.D.Mayor Kevin_Faulconer(R)
vs.Former Gov. nominee John Cox(R)
vs.Former U.S.Rep Doug Ose(R)
vs.Laura Smith(R)
vs.Former Olympian Caitlyn Jenner(R)
vs.Radio Host Larry Elder(R)
NJ: Incumbent Phil Murphy(D)
vs.State Rep. Jack Ciattarelli(R)
vs.Candidate Hirsh Singh(R)
vs.GOP Chair Doug Steinhardt(R)
VA: Incumbent Ralph Northam(D,term-limited)
vs.Former Governor Terry McAuliffe(D)
vs.CEO Glenn Youngkin(R)
vs.A.G. Mark Herring(D)
vs.State Sen. Amanda Chase(I)
vs.Lt. Gov. Justin Fairfax(D)
vs.State Rep. Jennifer Carroll Foy(D)
vs.State Rep. Lee Carter(D)
vs.State Sen. Jennifer McClellan(D)
vs.State Rep. Kirk Cox(R)
vs.CEO Pete Snyder(R)

Gubernatorial Debates 2022:
AK: Incumbent Mike Dunleavy(R)
vs.Bill Walker(? D)
vs.Al Gross(? I)
AL: Incumbent Kay Ivey(R)
vs.Chris Countryman(D)
AR: Incumbent Asa Hutchinson(R,term-limited)
vs.Trump Adviser Sarah Huckabee Sanders(R)
vs.A.G. Leslie Rutledge(R)
vs.Ricky Dale Harrington(L)
vs.Anthony Bland(D)
AZ: Incumbent Doug Ducey(R,term-limited)
vs.Paul Gosar(? R)
Mayor Marco Lopez(D)
vs.Former news anchor Kari Lake(R)
vs.Secretary of State Katie Hobbs(D)
vs.State Treasurer Kimberly Yee(R)
vs.U.S.Rep.Matt Salmon(R)
vs.Steve Gaynor(R)
vs.State Rep.Aaron Lieberman(D)
CA: Incumbent Gavin Newsom(D)
vs.S.D.Mayor Kevin_Faulconer(R)
vs.Former Gov. nominee John Cox(R)
vs.Antonio Villaraigosa(? D)
CO: Incumbent Jared Polis(D)
vs.Mayor Greg Lopez(R)
CT: Incumbent Ned Lamont(D)
vs.Bob Stefanowski(? R)
FL: Incumbent Ron DeSantis(R)
vs.Former Gov.Charlie Crist(D)
vs.Rep.Stephanie Murphy(? D)
vs.Agriculture Commissioner Nikki Fried(D)
GA: Incumbent Brian Kemp(R)
vs.Minority Leader Stacey Abrams(D)
vs.Senate candidate Shane Hazel(L)
vs.State Rep.Vernon Jones(R)
vs.2020 candidate Kandiss Taylor(R)
HI: Incumbent David Ige(D,term-limited)
vs.Marissa Kerns(R)
vs.Lt.Gov.Josh Green(D)
IA: Incumbent Kim Reynolds(R)
vs.Deidre DeJear(D)
vs.State Rep.Ras Smith(D)
ID: Incumbent Brad Little(R)
vs.Raul Labrador(R)
vs.Lt. Gov. Janice McGeachin(R)
vs.Ammon Bundy(R)
IL: Incumbent J.B. Pritzker(D)
vs.State Sen.Darren Bailey(R)
KS: Incumbent Laura Kelly(D)
vs.Jeff Colyer(R)
vs.State Sen.Derek Schmidt(R)
Gubernatorial Debates 2022 (continued):
MA: Incumbent Charlie Baker(R)
vs.Lt.Gov.Karyn Polito(R)
vs.State Rep. Geoff Diehl(R)
vs.Harvard Professor Danielle Allen(D)
vs.State Sen.Ben Downing(D)
vs.State Sen.Sonia Chang-Diaz(D)
MD: Incumbent Larry Hogan(R,term-limited)
vs.State Rep. Robin Ficker(R)
vs.State Rep. Peter Franchot(D)
vs.State Del.Kelly M. Schulz(R)
vs.Secretary John B. King(D)
vs.Obama administration Ashwani Jain(D)
vs.State attorney-general Doug Gansler(D)
vs.County executive Rushern Baker(D)
vs.Secretary Thomas Perez(D)
ME: Incumbent Janet Mills(D)
vs.Former Gov. Paul LePage(R)
MI: Incumbent Gretchen Whitmer(D)
vs.Chief James Craig(R)
vs.Police Chief Tudor Dixon(R)
MN: Incumbent Tim Walz(DFL)
vs.Mayor Mike Murphy(R)
vs.State Sen.Scott Jensen(R)
NE: Incumbent Pete Ricketts(R,term-limited)
vs.U.S.Senator Bob Krist(R)
vs.Chuck Herbster(R)
NH: Incumbent Chris Sununu(R)
vs.Dan Feltes(D)
vs.Kelly Ayotte(? R)
NM: Incumbent Michelle Lujan Grisham(D)
vs.Commissioner Jay Block(R)
vs.State Rep.Rebecca Dow(R)
NV: Incumbent Steve Sisolak(D)
vs.A.G.Adam Laxalt(R)
vs.U.S.Rep. Mark Amodei(? R)
vs.North Las Vegas Mayor John Lee(R)
NY: Incumbent Andrew Cuomo(D)
vs.Lt.Gov.Kathy Hochul(D)
vs.Rob Astorino(R)
vs.Andrew Giuliani(R)
vs.US.Rep.Lee Zeldin(R)
OH: Incumbent Mike DeWine(R)
vs.Former Rep.Jim Renacci(R)
vs.Dayton Mayor Nan Whaley(D)
vs.Mayor John Cranley(D)
OK: Incumbent Kevin Stitt(R)
vs.State Sen. Ervin Yen(R)
vs.Connie Johnson(D)
OR: Incumbent Kate Brown(D,term-limited)
vs.Gov. nominee Bud Pierce(R)
vs.Paul Romero(R)
vs.Casey Kulla(D)
vs.Kerry McQuisten(R)
PA: Incumbent Tom Wolf(D,term-limited)
vs.U.S.Rep. Lou Barletta(R)
vs.Commissioner Joe Gale(R)
vs.A.G.Josh Shapiro(D)
RI: Incumbent Gina Raimondo(D,to Cabinet)
vs.Gov. Dan McKee(D)
vs.Secy.Matt Brown(? D)
vs.Mayor Allan Fung(R)
vs.Luis-Daniel Munoz(D)
vs.RI Secretary of State Nellie Gorbea(D)
SC: Incumbent Henry McMaster(R)
vs.State Rep. James Emerson Smith(? D)
vs.US.Rep.Joe Cunningham(D)
vs.State senator Mia McLeod(D)
SD: Incumbent Kristi Noem(R)
vs.State Rep. Billie Sutton(? D)
TN: Incumbent Bill Lee(R)
vs.Senate nominee Marquita Bradshaw(? D)
vs.Carnita Atwater(D)
TX: Incumbent Greg Abbott(R)
vs.Chad Prather(R)
vs.State Sen.Don Huffines(R)
vs.U.S.Rep. Allen West(R)
vs.Deidre Gilbert(D)
VT: Incumbent Phil Scott(R)
(no prospective opponents yet)
WI: Incumbent Tony Evers(D)
vs.CEO Jonathan Wichmann(R)
WY: Incumbent Mark Gordon(R)
vs.Minority Leader Chris Rothfuss(? D)

Gubernatorial Debates 2023:
KY: Incumbent Andy Beshear(D)
vs.Former Gov. Matt Bevin(? R)

vs.Senator Rand Paul(? R)
vs.State Auditor Mark Harmon(R)
LA: Incumbent John Bel Edwards(D,term-limited)
vs.Biden Adviser Cedric Richmond(? D)
vs.Senator John Neely Kennedy(? R)
MS: Incumbent Tate Reeves(R)
vs.Bill Waller(R)
Abortion
Budget/Economy
Civil Rights
Corporations
Crime
Drugs
Education
Energy/Oil
Environment
Families/Children
Foreign Policy
Free Trade
Govt. Reform
Gun Control
Health Care
Homeland Security
Immigration
Infrastructure/Technology
Jobs
Local Issues
Principles/Values
Social Security
Tax Reform
War/Iraq/Mideast
Welfare/Poverty

 





Page last updated: Aug 28, 2021