Washington — Yesterday, the White House Task Force on Worker Organizing and Empowerment – led by Vice President Kamala Harris as Chair and Labor Secretary Marty Walsh as Vice-Chair – released publicly the report it delivered to President Joe Biden that includes nearly 70 recommendations to promote worker organizing and collective bargaining.
IATSE is proud to have been engaged by the task force to provide input during the preparation of this report and praises the recommendations that have been made.
In particular, we are pleased to see recommendations regarding strong labor standards applied to federal grant funds, preventing and addressing worker misclassification, eliminating barriers to union eligibility for federal grants, and making the federal government a model employer.
As the task force asserts, “the Biden-Harris Administration believes that increasing worker organizing and empowerment is critical to growing the middle class, building an economy that puts workers first, and strengthening our democracy.”
This report is further evidence of International President Matthew Loeb’s belief, stated following the 2020 election, “that the Biden-Harris Administration will be the most significantly pro-labor, pro-worker administration in modern American history.” This administration recognizes the federal government’s ability to use its roles as an employer, policymaker, and consumer to promote and support union membership in every industry.
IATSE looks forward to continued collaboration with the task force to implement executive actions that increase worker organizing and empowerment in the arts, entertainment, and media industries where our members work.
Read the entire report here.