The United States Department of Labor is seen in Washington, D.C., U.S., August 30, 2020. REUTERS/Andrew Kelly
The White House labor task force, headed by Vice President Kamala Harris, is set to meet for the first time on Thursday, to promote labor organizing at a time when just over 6% of U.S. private-sector workers belong to unions, according to White House officials and the Department of Labor.
Labor Secretary Marty Walsh will serve as vice chair of the group and will attend the meeting in person, a Labor Department spokesperson said.
President Joe Biden last month signed an executive order to create the task force, whose goals include facilitating worker organizing around the United States, increasing union membership and addressing challenges to labor organizing in underserved communities.
Biden's executive order directed the task force to devise a set of recommendations within 180 days to address two key issues: How existing policies can promote labor organizing in the federal government, and looking at necessary new policies and the associated regulatory challenges.
"Widespread and deep economic inequality, stagnant real wages, and the shrinking of America's middle class are all associated with the declining percentage of workers represented by unions," the White House said, when Biden signed the order.
The task force also includes more than 20 heads of agencies and Cabinet officials including Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen, Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin, White House economic advisers Cecilia Rouse and Brian Deese and White House climate adviser Gina McCarthy.
Over 65 percent of Americans approve of unions, the most since 2003, according to a 2020 Gallup poll, despite the much lower membership rate.
Organized labor faced one of its biggest setbacks in recent history after an organizing drive at an Amazon.com (AMZN.O) facility failed earlier this month.
Unions have lobbied for the passage of the Protecting the Right to Organize Act, or PRO Act, which prohibits employers from holding anti-union meetings and imposes penalties for violating workers rights. The House passed the measure in March and Biden supports the legislation, but it faces long odds in the Senate.
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May 12, 2021 at 11:43PM
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White House labor task force to hold first meeting on Thursday - Reuters
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