Labor

Every year people in Colorado and across the nation have to work harder and harder to provide for their families, save for retirement, and protect themselves in the event of unexpected expenses. Jared believes that folks who are willing to work hard to achieve the American Dream deserve federal policies that bring these goals into reach, not ones that add burdens and protect special interests. As the Ranking Member of the Health, Employment, Labor and Pensions Subcommittee, Jared is standing up for working families, collective bargaining rights, a living wage, and good-paying jobs. He believes that it is vital to protect workers’ rights and safety, family and sick leave, and collective bargaining in order to grow the middle-class and create good-paying jobs.

Giving Workers a Fair Shot Act

Jared believes in taking a pro-active approach towards reforming labor policies that put workers and families first.  That’s why he introduced the Giving Workers a Fair Shot Act. The bill enhances labor laws and provides workers a fair shot at obtaining a good job with livable wages, and creates higher standards for employers.  It achieves these objectives through six parts: (1) empowering shareholders to hold executives accountable, (2) preventing labor busting, (3) removing barriers to collective bargaining agreements, (4) enhancing criminal penalties for labor violations, (5) ensuring that employees are classified correctly, and (6) increasing employer transparency.

Protecting Workers from Discrimination

Jared has introduced the Employment Nondiscrimination Act – a bill to prohibit employers from discriminating on the basis of sexual orientation or gender identity – three times in the House of Representatives. Unfortunately, though the Senate approved ENDA in a historic bipartisan vote last Congress, House leaders refused to allow a vote on it. In the 114th Congress, Jared is a leading sponsor of the Equality Act – a landmark civil rights bill to prohibit discrimination in employment, education, housing, credit, and public accommodations.

Jared has also consistently fought for equal pay for equal work. He is proud that one of his first votes in the US Congress was to pass the Lilly Ledbetter Fairy Pay Act because he knows we must penalize pay discrimination.

Collective Bargaining & Workers’ Protections

Jared has been a cosponsor of the Employee Free Choice Act, supporting collective bargaining rights for workers, and has fought to protect the National Labor Relations Board and Department of Labor rulings that help protect workers, their collective bargaining rights, and their wages. He will continue to fight for these protections along with Family & Medical Leave because no one should have to choose between collecting their paycheck and caring for their sick child.

Creating Good Jobs

Jared has fought for workforce investment and for American workers and jobs through labor protections at home and abroad. He knows we need to work to rebuild our infrastructure, and create and protect good middle-class jobs along the way.

In addition, he has been a proponent of raising the federal minimum wage and cosponsored and signed a discharge petition for the Fair Minimum Wage Act. He is also a sponsor of the Raise the Wage Act. Jared believes we must align our workforce development system with the skills our workers need to thrive in a 21^st century economy.

For more information on or questions about workforce and labor issues, please contact Bo Morris in the Washington Office. You can also visit Congressman Polis' Legislation Page or find information on bills and amendments that he’s cosponsored in Congress.