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Momentum for Worker Standards Boards Continues To Grow
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Momentum for Worker Standards Boards Continues To Grow

Since 2018, six states and three local governments have enacted laws that bring workers and employers together to recommend standards for sectors of the economy.

Across America, millions of workers are reporting that they want to collectively bargain for themselves on the job, with workers interested in joining unions and union approval ratings at their highest levels in more than half a century. Worker boards offer an additional means for workers to negotiate for better working conditions on the job—benefits that also apply across an entire sector.

This year, Colorado, Minnesota, and California all contributed to the growing momentum for passing policies that establish worker boards to bring together workers and employers in the process of setting workplace standards for an entire sector. Six states and three local governments have enacted this type of policy since 2018, and additional cities and states are considering action; all told, with several jurisdictions having enacted more than one worker board law, 12 such laws have been passed since 2018—four more than catalogued in a prior Center for American Progress column.

The above excerpt was originally published in the Center for American Progress. Click here to view the full article.

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Authors

Aurelia Glass

Policy Analyst, Inclusive Economy

David Madland

Senior Fellow; Senior Adviser, American Worker Project

Team

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Inclusive Economy

We are focused on building an inclusive economy by expanding worker power, investing in families, and advancing a social compact that encourages sustainable and equitable growth.

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