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Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez on Jobs
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Insisted on a living wage for her congressional staff
AOC's insistence on a living wage for her congressional staff, [one staffer] believes, was transformational. "I used to be a congressional staffer. When I got to Congress, I was earning so little that I was considering taking on another job.
That sounds fine except when you're a legislative aide, you might work until 3 or 4 o'clock in the morning. I was getting paid so little that
I qualified for low-income housing. A starting salary of $54,000 a year [for AOC's staff] is not only a living wage, it allows someone of my background, who did not have connections, to be at the table.
It allows for you to not be shut out of the market because you actually couldn't do it, financially. That is not small.
Source: AOC, by Lynda Lopez, p.7
, Aug 11, 2020
Worker power means aggressive support for labor unions
AOC has been quite explicit that by "socialism" she means worker power, not government ownership: "Socialism does not mean government owns everything. I disagree with that notion as well because I think it is undemocratic. I think that it is very easily
corrupted and I don't think that that's a good thing. But I do think that having more democracy in our economy, a.k.a. worker power, worker accountability, is a very positive thing."What is worker power? In part, aggressive support for labor unions.
When a solar energy company fired workers attempting to unionize, AOC publicly demanded they be rehired. When Barstool Sports founder Dave Portnoy threatened to crush any unionizing efforts at his company, AOC told him that he might face legal action.
Her Green New Deal plan emphasizes worker rights and worker conditions as well as environmental mitigation, including specific provisions about the equality of jobs that the Green New Deal should guarantee and demand that those jobs be unionized.
Source: AOC, by Lynda Lopez, p.150-151
, Aug 11, 2020
We need to address inequality in pay & parental leave
This is part of an evolution that we've been having as a country. Women have historically been mistreated. We still have a pay gap which is persisted by inequalities in parental leave, the fact that women don't get guaranteed paid leave.
I have three staffers that are having children in my first six months of my term and I see how these inequalities pay out. That's why I give all new fathers in my office guaranteed three months paid leave, because those inequalities are very real.
Source: ABC This Week 2019 interview for Congress NY-14 election
, Jun 16, 2019
Endorses a Federal Jobs Guarantee program with benefits
Alexandria endorses a Federal Jobs Guarantee, because anyone who is willing and able to work shouldn't struggle to find employment. A Federal Jobs Guarantee would create a baseline standard for employment that includes a $15 minimum wage,
full healthcare, and child and sick leave for all. This proposal would upgrade the quality of employment by providing training and experience to workers while bringing much-needed public services to our communities.
Source: 2018 Congress NY-14th election website Ocasio2018.com
, Oct 9, 2018
Sponsored bill for strengthening union organizing.
Ocasio-Cortez co-sponsored PRO Act
H.R.842 & S.420: Protecting the Right to Organize Act: This bill expands various labor protections related to employees' rights to organize and collectively bargain in the workplace:
- revises the definitions of employee, supervisor, and employer to broaden the scope of individuals covered by the fair labor standards;
- permits labor organizations to encourage participation of union members in strikes initiated by employees represented by a different labor organization (i.e., secondary strikes); and
- prohibits employers from bringing claims against unions that conduct such secondary strikes.
The bill also allows collective bargaining agreements to require all employees represented by the bargaining unit to contribute fees to the labor organization for the cost of such representation.Biden Administration in SUPPORT: The Administration strongly supports The PRO Act. America was not built by Wall Street. It was built by the middle class,
and unions built the middle class. Unions put power in the hands of workers. H.R. 842 would strengthen and protect workers' right to form a union by assessing penalties on employers who violate workers' right to organize.
Rep. Mo Brooks in OPPOSITION: H.R. 842 [is] a radical union bill that tramples the rights of citizens by forcing them to enter into union servitude, including:
- Overturns right-to-work laws in 27 states, thereby forcing citizens, against their will, to pay millions of dollars in dues to labor unions.
- Denies citizens' rights to vote by secret ballot on whether to join a union by imposing a biased "card-check" scheme.
- Deprives individuals of entrepreneurial opportunities. The PRO Act would eliminate the franchise industry and sharing economy as we know them.
Legislative Outcome:Passed House 222-204-4 (Rollcall 82) on 03/09/2021; received and read in the Senate on 3/23; no further Senate action during 2021.
Source: H.R.842/S.420 21-HR842 on Feb 4, 2021
Page last updated: May 22, 2022; copyright 1999-2022 Jesse Gordon and OnTheIssues.org