While Hillary Clinton has strong support from organized labor, Bernie Sanders outlined a plan Tuesday to help unions and possibly win them over to his campaign.
The Workplace Democracy Act, introduced by Sanders and Rep. Mark Pocan, D-Wis., is a card-check bill aimed at making it easier for unions where a majority of eligible workers sign an authorization card. The bill also requires workplaces to begin union negotiation within 10 days of certification. Similar legislation has long been a union priority.
“Millions of Americans who want to join unions are unable to do so because of the coercive and often illegal behavior of their employers,” Sanders said in front of union workers and supporters on Capitol Hill. “The benefits of joining a union are clear: higher wages, better benefits and a more secure retirement. If we are serious about reducing income and wealth inequality and rebuilding the middle class, we have got to substantially increase the number of union jobs in this country.”
Sanders has positioned himself as a champion of union workers, promoting the $15 minimum wage on the campaign trail and often going out of his way to meet with labor activists.
“The minimum wage does need to raise up, and I think Bernie Sanders has an excellent plan because it serves the opportunity for middle class people and low class people to earn a proper salary,” union worker Valerie Price told the Washington Examiner. “I don’t know Hillary Clinton’s plan. She hasn’t been out to talk to the people like Bernie has. We’ve been following him for a while and he’s really stressed the $15 wage.”
Clinton at the moment has significantly more major union endorsements than Sanders, though his supporters hope that will change.
“He’s getting a ton of union support particularly on the grassroots level,” Sanders’ senior Senate policy adviser Warren Gunnels said. “There are tens of thousands of labor union workers for Bernie Sanders, and we’re going to keep growing that list. Bernie was very excited to get the National Nurses United Union on board and I’m sure we’ll have many others.”
