Joe Biden releases labor plan in middle-class pitch

By Arlette Saenz and Sarah Mucha, CNN

Fri October 25, 2019

(CNN)Democratic former Vice President Joe Biden unveiled a plan Friday that aims to protect workers’ rights and to strengthen unions and collective bargaining efforts as he tries to persuade voters he’s the best presidential candidate to fight for the labor community.

The 11-page proposal hits President Donald Trump as engaging in a “war on organizing, collective bargaining, unions, and workers” and seeks to “check the abuse of corporate power over labor.” It calls for legislation enacting stricter penalties on corporations and holding corporate executives personally accountable for violating labor laws or interfering with organizing efforts.

The plan aims to implement policies to encourage unionization, guard workers’ pay and benefits, and provide workplace protections, including a $15 federal minimum wage and eliminating non-compete agreements.

“It is core to who [Biden] is and who he’s been since the beginning of his career, so for him it’s a no-brainer that a fundamental part of his campaign is that we are protecting workers and unions,” said Stef Feldman, policy director for the Biden campaign. “Strong unions are an essential element to building a strong middle class.”

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