Dive Brief:
- If Hilary Clinton is the next president of the United States, a "model employer" executive order could make it easier for unions to gain a foothold in government contracts, according to a report at Vox.
-
Such an order would mean "model employers," those who pay a minimum of $15 an hour and offer a standard benefits package, would get preference in federal contracts and some subsidies. Those employers would also have to promise to not interfere with the right of their employees to unionize in return for a no-strike employee pledge.
- Vox says one estimate has at least two million low-wage workers earning less than $12 an hour working at employers that benefit from federal contracts. The idea here is the feds would help promote union organizing, something for the private sector to follow – a trend that has been happening as 120 localities already have similar orders, Vox reports.
Dive Insight
Right now, according to Vox writer Richard Yeselson, the consensus of "shared legitimacy" between business and unions doesn't exist, and that balance is left to the NLRB, depending on which party controls Board membership. Plus, there is an ongoing issue of the working class's economic decline, lower life expectancy, increased suicide rates, and drug and alcohol abuse. And, according to "unions address this entire range of concerns."
Yeselson adds that right now the model employer order is under the radar, but it is something that Democrats would agree on if they win the White House in November. Notably, it would only become a reality through an executive order, having little or no chance of making it through Congress.
For employers who do much business with the federal government, it's a trend worth watching. A Democrat-won White House could mean an increase in what's required to win contracts.