{"id":3271,"date":"2022-10-04T06:00:00","date_gmt":"2022-10-04T06:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/uniontrack.com\/blog\/?p=3271"},"modified":"2023-01-12T21:25:13","modified_gmt":"2023-01-12T21:25:13","slug":"pro-worker-initiatives","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/uniontrack.com\/blog\/pro-worker-initiatives","title":{"rendered":"Recent Pro-Worker Initiatives by the Department of Labor"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Ken Green
CEO & Founder
UnionTrack<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

After the pro-management years of the Trump administration, the U.S. Department of Labor (DOL) is once again focused on protecting America\u2019s workers. Headed by Labor Secretary Marty Walsh, the DOL has not only recouped millions of dollars for workers, but it has also implemented a number of pro-worker initiatives aimed at improving the lives of working people across the country.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Good Jobs Initiative<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

In January 2022, the DOL launched the Good Jobs Initiative<\/a> which is described by the department as an \u201cinitiative that provides critical information to workers, employers, and government agencies as they work to improve job quality and create access to good jobs free from discrimination and harassment for all working people.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

As CNN White House reporter Maegan Vazquez<\/a> explains, the Good Jobs Initiative essentially establishes a \u201cbroad framework across the federal government to inform workers of their rights — including their right to collectively bargain, engage employers in improving jobs to retain workers and deploy federal agencies to bolster the plan.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

As part of this effort, the DOL hosted the Good Jobs Summit in June 2022 where it, along with the Department of Commerce, released the Good Jobs Principles<\/a>. The principles outline the essential elements of a high-quality job, prioritizing equal access to good jobs, and provide a framework for a shared vision of quality jobs.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cThe departments of Commerce and Labor have formed an unprecedented partnership to ensure workers and businesses both benefit from high-quality, good paying jobs and [these] Good Jobs Principles will continue to help guide these efforts,\u201d says Secretary of Commerce Gina Raimondo<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Maternal Health Series<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

According to a study by the Commonwealth Fund<\/a>, maternal mortality rates in the U.S. are steadily increasing and are higher than those of any other industrialized nation. The study also notes that the U.S. is the only country without federal legislation to guarantee access to provider home visits or paid parental leave in the postpartum period, which means many working mothers are often forced to choose between their health and their jobs.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In an effort to address this issue and to help expectant and new mothers in the workplace, the DOL\u2019s Wage and Hour Division and the Women\u2019s Bureau launched a year-long Maternal Health Series<\/a> in August 2022. The webinars and events are dedicated to ensuring \u201cworkers, worker advocates, health care providers and employers understand the workplace rights of new and expectant parents as well as employer responsibilities.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cPregnant and nursing workers should never be forced to choose between their health \u2013 or that of their child \u2013 and their job,\u201d says Women\u2019s Bureau Director Wendy Chun-Hoon<\/a>. \u201cBy enforcing federal labor standards and ensuring workers know their rights, we help ensure more equitable workplaces for women, including staying connected to their job and vital supports like health insurance during a critical time for their families.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"Retail<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Apprenticeship Building America Grants<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

In an effort to strengthen the Registered Apprenticeship Program<\/a> (RAP), the DOL awarded more than $121 million in grants to 30 grantees through its Apprenticeship Building America (ABA) program<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

As Kelly Vedi<\/a>, senior policy analyst at New America, reports, the goals of the ABA program are to:<\/p>\n\n\n\n