Jon Tester on Jobs Democratic Jr Senator

Raise minimum wage from $7.25/hr to $10.10

Matt Rosendale (R): No. Called Obama's proposal to do this "ridiculous."

Jon Tester (D): Yes. Would "help thousands of Montanans make ends meet."

Raise minimum wage to fair livable wage

Minimum wage increase is long overdue

BURNS: I will probably vote for it, if there's things in the bill for small business. It all has to be packaged together. We've got to make the tax cuts from 2001 and 2003 permanent. If we don't, a young person's tax bill will go up by 48% in 2011. A family of four, their tax obligation will go up 58%. So I voted for that package, to make it permanent so we won't face that higher federal obligation, and in that was an increase in minimum wage.

TESTER: One of the good things about the Montana legislature is that we get bills on one topic. If a person votes for it, they vote for it, and we can't skate under part of a bill. I would support the minimum wage increase. I think it's long overdue. If we're going to talk about tax cuts, let's focus them on the middle class, when the bulk of that tax cut he talks about is focused on the very richest rich.

Ban discriminatory compensation; allow 2 years to sue.

Amends the Civil Rights Act of 1964 to declare that an unlawful employment practice occurs when:
1. a discriminatory compensation decision or other practice is adopted;
2. an individual becomes subject to the decision or practice; or
3. an individual is affected by application of the decision or practice, including each time wages, benefits, or other compensation is paid.

[Note: A woman named Lilly Ledbetter filed a lawsuit for gender-based discriminatory compensation. The Supreme Court ruled that Ms. Ledbetter could only sue for damages going back 180 days, and the 180 days was calculated from the time her employment contract was initiated, i.e., her hire date. This new law changes the 180-day period to two years, and also calculates the date from the time of each paycheck, rather than the hire date. -- Ed.]

Sponsored bill for strengthening union organizing.

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:

1. revises the definitions of employee, supervisor, and employer to broaden the scope of individuals covered by the fair labor standards;
2. 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
3. prohibits employers from bringing claims against unions that conduct such secondary strikes.

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.