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Democratic Presidential Candidate Beto O’Rourke Announces Labor Friendly Proposals


Late last week, Democratic Presidential candidate Beto O’Rourke wrote an op-ed, styled ‘A 21st Century Labor Contract’, in which he announced his plans to enact sweeping labor friendly proposals, should he be elected President in 2020.

Of note, O’Rourke wrote that he would:

  • Allow the National Labor Relations Board (“NLRB”) to impose monetary fines against employers that wrongfully terminate a worker or that in violating the National Labor Relations Act, cause a worker to suffer economic harm.  (Currently, the NLRB can order backpay or reinstatement, but cannot impose fines);
  • Make officers and directors of an employer liable for labor violations if the officers and directors had prior knowledge; and
  • Provide union leaders and managers the ability to agree on minimum standards for an industry, rather than require negotiation among each individual employer in that sector.
As well, O’Rourke voiced his support for the prior joint employer standard enacted during President Barack Obama’s term; increasing the federal hourly minimum wage rate to $15/hour (and eliminate lower wages for tipped workers and disabled workers); supporting the new overtime threshold also proposed during President Obama’s term; and supporting a stricter legal test that would make it harder for employers to classify workers as independent contractors rather than employees.

With O’Rourke a ways back in the polls, it will be interesting to see if these proposals help him gain any traction in the coming months.



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