Vice President Kamala Harris kicked off 2024 with a stop in Las Vegas on Wednesday to join culinary union members in celebrating new contracts negotiated with some of the largest hotel operators in Southern Nevada.
After settling union contracts for more than 40,000 hospitality workers, the Culinary Union said the win will bring historic wage increases and workplace safety improvements.
Harris said workers are the backbone of the nation.
"It is union members and the working people who are members of organized labor, who have always fought and continue to fight for the rights, for the dignity of working people and the dignity of work itself," Harris emphasized.
The vice president pointed out the Culinary Union's achievements signal to other unions around the country what can be achieved and the power they have. Her visit to the Silver State comes as the Biden-Harris administration seeks a second term in D.C., with Nevada being a key battleground state Biden won in 2020.
Julie Su, acting Secretary of Labor, said union organizers in Nevada made history last year with their contract negotiations at the bargaining table. She noted what members have done is help "reset and lift up the market rate."
"I heard corporations say that the wage increase you want is too far above the market rate," Su observed. "My response to that is, 'Instead of telling workers that their demands are too high, why don't we start to question why the market rate is so low?'"
Su added unions help close race and gender pay gaps. The American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees said Latina union workers can earn up to 40% more than their nonunion counterparts. For Black women, belonging to a union means they earn 24% more than their nonunion colleagues.
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A bipartisan nonprofit group in Michigan is opposing pending legislation which would reverse a Michigan Supreme Court ruling, stripping paid sick leave and minimum wage protections, slated to take effect this month.
In 2018, Michigan voters approved initiatives to raise the minimum wage and provide paid sick leave but the GOP-led Legislature amended them in the same session, which the court ruled was unconstitutional.
Michigan's minimum wage is currently slated to rise to $12.48 on Feb. 21 and reach $14.97 by 2028.
Monique Stanton, president and CEO of the Michigan League for Public Policy, stressed how the proposed laws would affect Michiganders, especially low-income residents.
"If you get sick, your child breaks their leg, and you need to take a day or two off from work, you're not able to do so," Stanton pointed out. "That means you're making a choice between taking care of your child or being able to pay your utility bills, or being able to make your rent."
The new proposed legislation sets the minimum wage at $12 an hour this year, with tipped wages at 38% of the regular wage. If it becomes law, some Michigan workers' yearly pay will be reduced by $1,000 to $2,400 in the coming years.
Stanton noted polling data revealed keeping the paid sick leave and minimum wage increase has support from both Republicans and Democrats. She added her group is engaging with Michigan residents, businesses and other organizations to raise awareness and gain support.
"This is an issue that really will help people make ends meet, especially as we're worried about the economy and the costs of prices going up," Stanton stressed. "Both the boost to the minimum wage as well that protection for earned sick time are really essential."
The new bills have passed in the House and are now headed to the Senate. If they become law, the change will take effect on Feb 21.
Disclosure: The Michigan League for Public Policy/Kids Count contributes to our fund for reporting on Budget Policy and Priorities, Children's Issues, Livable Wages/Working Families, and Poverty Issues. If you would like to help support news in the public interest,
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Pennsylvania lawmakers return to Harrisburg on Monday, facing renewed pressure to address long-standing issues, including improving the economy and education.
Advocates said it is a crucial opportunity to make meaningful progress on many policies.
Gillian Kratzer, deputy director of the advocacy group Better Pennsylvania, said one key priority Democrats are focused on is improving school funding.
"Making sure that we are equipping schools to do the best that they can for every child in every school district," Kratzer emphasized. "Obviously last year, we had the court case that laid out, finally, that Pennsylvania does not have fair funding for schools, which is part of our state constitution."
Kratzer noted her group anticipates Gov. Josh Shapiro's third budget address on Feb. 4. In the last budget, Shapiro made the largest investment in Commonwealth history for K-12 public education, at just over $1 billion.
Medical marijuana is legal in Pennsylvania but not for recreational use. In the face of a budget shortfall, Kratzer acknowledged it will take bipartisan support, especially from the Republican-controlled state Senate, to secure new revenue sources, which could include legalizing recreational marijuana use.
"Something that we will hopefully see get done this year is doing something on recreational marijuana," Kratzer observed. "As a state, we have to find new sources of revenue, because we are either going to have to dip into our rainy day fund or raise taxes."
She added the state minimum wage remains stagnant at $7.25 an hour. A bill to raise it will be reintroduced. And she stressed the need for lawmakers to consider paid family leave, as the U.S. falls behind globally on the family-friendly policy.
Disclosure: Better PA contributes to our fund for reporting on Civic Engagement, Health Issues, and Livable Wages/Working Families. If you would like to help support news in the public interest,
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Kentucky's unemployment rate is higher than the national average and workers who are employed said they are unsatisfied with their pay, according to new data from the Kentucky Center for Statistics and the Pew Research Center.
Paychecks have not kept up with the cost of living and are too low for the quality or amount of work they do, the survey revealed.
Dustin Pugel, policy director at the Kentucky Center for Economic Policy, said the Commonwealth has relatively low wages compared to other states, with an average household income of about $60,000 a year.
"The bottom 10% of workers had been stagnant for years and years, particularly following the Great Recession," Pugel pointed out. "After the COVID downturn, low-income wages have actually outpaced inflation."
Child care continues to be a major financial burden for households. According to the latest federal data, families spend between 9% and 16% of their income on full-day care for just one child, with costs ranging from around $6,500 to more than $15,000 a year.
Workers are now much more likely than in 2022 to say it would be difficult for them to get the kind of job they would want if they were to look for a new one, especially low-income workers. And more than 60% said they are unlikely to look for a new job in the next six months.
Pugel noted the wage gap and lack of options are driving increased labor organizing in the Commonwealth.
"I think what we've seen is a lot of response to that frustration through increased unionization," Pugel observed. "Especially in low-wage service sectors like baristas and bookstores."
According to the Kentucky Center for Statistics, the state's seasonally adjusted unemployment rate was 5.2% as of December 2024, slightly higher than the national rate. However, Kentucky continues to add new jobs in nonfarm sectors and manufacturing. More than 2 million people contribute to the state's civilian workforce.
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