Issue Position: Workplace Issues

Issue Position

Minimum Wage

I believe that all Americans deserve a living wage that allows them to provide for their families. At current levels, the minimum wage leaves many families in a shortfall, having to choose between necessities such as health care, food and housing.

One of the top priorities of the new Democratic Leadership in Congress was to raise the minimum wage. I am pleased that we were successful in passing the first minimum wage increase since 1997, and have been phasing in adjustments to the wage in recent years. The most recent adjustment came on July 24, 2009, when it was increased to $7.25 per hour. These increases are important and will help those in the lowest paying jobs have the means necessary to provide for themselves and their families.

Employees who earn within 25 percent of minimum wage are more likely to be women, and their families are less likely to have health insurance coverage from any source. I will continue to fight to remedy the imbalance in women's pay, and ensure that all individuals have health care coverage, no matter their income.
Family and Medical Leave

Currently, the Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA) provides up to 12 weeks of unpaid leave to parents to care for their newborn, newly adopted child, or a seriously ill child, spouse, or parent. It also provides leave to temporarily disabled workers, including those disabled because of pregnancy. In addition, FMLA protects the continuation of group health insurance for the employee on the same basis as before they leave and protects the right to the same or an equivalent job when the leave ends. Unfortunately, the FMLA only covers employees who have worked at least 1,250 hours during the past year, which means that part-time workers are completely excluded.

In 2008, 27 million people worked part-time, representing 18.8% percent of the workforce -- a marked increase over prior years. Unfortunately, this shift in the workforce is not due to choice. In December, the number of persons who worked part time for economic reasons, often referred to as "involuntary part-time workers," continued to increase, reaching 8 million. The number of these workers has risen by 3.4 million over the past 12 months.

For this reason, I am the lead sponsor of the Family Fairness Act, which amends the FMLA to expand benefits to an employee who has been employed, either as a full-time or part-time employee, for at least 12 months by the employer.

I will continue to work in Congress to expand the FMLA to cover all part-time employees, and ensure that we provide full support to working families.
Labor Relations

One of the essential tenets of American democracy is choice. I support employees' rights to choose to join with other employees to negotiate better working conditions. I have worked to expand the National Labor Relations Act to facilitate employees' ability to bring together a labor organization. Helpful measures include the election of bargaining representatives, provision of mediation when necessary, and stronger penalties for employers that block labor organizing processes.

Both employers and employees can contribute to productive, supportive work environments, and I believe the federal government can help facilitate successful relationships between the two. I look forward to working with the innovative businesses and resourceful labor unions in Wisconsin to maintain a vibrant economy.

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