Union Power | Claire Valdez for Congress

Introduction

There has never been a more critical moment for workers or organized labor in our country. The decades-long and strategic assault on unions has been enormously successful for oligarchs and bosses, with union density falling to its lowest level since the passage of the National Labor Relations Act (NLRA). Only 10 percent of workers in the United States belong to a union today, and just 6 percent in the private sector.

As worker power has eroded, corporate hegemony has entrenched, and the result is an era marked by extreme inequality, world-historic wealth concentration, and deepening alienation among working people. For many of us, it can feel as though our boss exercises near-total control over our lives — determining our schedules, our pay, our ability to take time off, even our basic dignity on the job. When we lack a meaningful say in the conditions that shape our daily lives and our economic survival depends on the unchecked authority of a boss, that is not freedom. Whether you’re a barista in Bushwick, an Amazon driver in Maspeth, or a nonprofit worker in Greenpoint, you deserve dignity on the job.

Unions are essential tools for combating this crisis. By standing together, we can collectively negotiate the working conditions we deserve. We can win a better future: one where we can all live dignified, fulfilling lives, spend meaningful time with family and friends, pursue interests outside of work, and retire with our health and security intact.

Our Vision

We are in a moment of opportunity for organized labor. Public support for unions has risen steadily over the past decade, with 68 percent of U.S. adults expressing approval, the highest level recorded since the late 1950s. Workers are ready to organize, to bargain for livable wages, and to demand safe, dignified working conditions. But to make the most of this moment, we need organizers in Congress who are willing to meet it.

Claire will work to pass legislation that protects organizing workers from retaliation, streamlines union elections, strengthens penalties for union-busting, and expands collective bargaining rights across industries. She will fight to check corporate hegemony by fighting to regulate employers' use of AI, put in place pro-worker trade and industrial policies, and create a federal jobs guarantee. And she will support expanding social programs that ensure everyone has a right to health care, living wages, and paid time off. By aligning policy with public support, we can build a new era of worker power in this country.

As a member of Congress, Claire will fight to:

Strengthen and pass the PRO Act, establish active federal support for union organizing, and end “at will” employment, paving the way for a new era of organized labor and making unions for all a reality;
End the unchecked corporate dominance that has proliferated in our country for too long;
Ensure everyone has the freedom to live a good life by guaranteeing a job with a living wage, paid parental and sick leave, quality health care, and a dignified retirement.

Unions for All

Unions are more popular than any time in modern history and an estimated 60 million Americans say that they would join a union if they could. But billionaires have spent decades trying to reign in worker power with a diverse array of tactics: union busting, passing so-called “Right-to-Work” laws, and weakening the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB).

As long as labor is on its backfoot, bosses will continue their exploitative practices, imposing poor conditions on workers and treating labor law violations simply as a cost of doing business. Enshrining the PRO Act into law would be the most important labor reform in generations, but it's just the beginning. As a member of Congress, Claire will work to:

Strengthen and Pass The PRO Act: The PRO Act would make union certification easier, allow the NLRB to penalize employers for violating contracts and union busting, and speed up the collective bargaining process. That should be the floor of our ambition, not the ceiling. Claire will work to pass legislation that goes even further: guaranteeing that when a majority of workers sign union cards, the union is recognized and creating stricter penalties and enforcement mechanisms for the NLRB to impose on bad employers.
Put the Full Weight of the Federal Government Behind New Union Organizing: At the peak of their strength, unions represented 1 in 3 American workers, but after decades of corporate attacks, that number is down to an astonishing 1 in 16 in the private sector. Simply put, this is a national emergency. Claire believes we should respond by launching a comprehensive, multi-pronged approach to level the playing field. She will introduce legislation to provide robust public funding and support for new union organizing, similar to current efforts by the Emergency Workplace Organizing Committee (EWOC), and to cut off federal contracts and subsidies to any company that engages in union busting. She will also work to build a federal resource to support workers in distress, equipping them with the tools and guidance to form their own unions.
End “At-Will” Employment for All Workers: In most developed countries, employers have to prove “just cause” to fire you. But in the U.S., unless your union’s bargaining agreement says otherwise, your boss can fire you for any reason, or no reason at all. Claire has already introduced legislation in New York State to end “at-will” employment and establish just cause protections for workers and will fight to pass similar legislation in Congress.
Legalize Strikes for Federal Workers: Federal workers deliver essential services to millions of people every day, but unlike most workers in our country, they can be fired, or even go to jail, for going on strike. Claire will fight to repeal the laws that criminalize federal workers and guarantee their full right to strike.

Empower Workers and End Corporate Dominance

Whether it’s in the agricultural industry, media, pharmaceuticals, insurance, banking, or technology, practically every major industry in the United States today is dominated by a small handful of companies. Decades of deregulation and lax anti-trust enforcement have allowed the wealthiest among us to amass unprecedented levels of wealth and power. And they’ve used that power to buy elections, bribe Supreme Court justices, offshore factories, and attack workers’ rights, often with the goal of further enriching themselves. The ruling class and their monopolies corrupt our democracy and make life more expensive through their uncontested power over wages and prices. Despite holding unprecedented wealth, these billionaires and the companies they control are taxed at rates near zero and store trillions of dollars in offshore tax havens. Instead of using their profits to pay taxes, reinvest in wages and benefits, or invest in productive assets, they buy-back their own stocks to manipulate share prices, speculate on asset bubbles that risk economic collapse, and invest heavily in tools meant to deskill, disempower, and replace workers, like AI.

Empowering the whole working class also means finally creating a federal jobs guarantee. For far too long, Congress has passed laws that create an economy that works for distant shareholders instead of the workers responsible for creating value. As a member of Congress, Claire will introduce and defend laws that put workers first. She will:

Use Trade and Industrial Policy to Lift Up Workers: Claire will fight for policies that promote high-road domestic manufacturing, invest in critical supply chains, and support durable, unionized jobs in the industries of the future. Rather than offering corporate giveaways with no strings attached, she believes the federal government must use the full suite of tools at its disposal, including procurement, democratic planning, public investment, and public ownership, not just to grow key industries, but to reshape them in the interests of workers. From renegotiating the U.S.-Mexico-Canada Agreement (USMCA) to overhauling our broader trade and tax framework, Claire will push for policies that meet the highest labor and environmental standards, prevent a global race to the bottom, and stop corporations from outsourcing jobs, suppressing wages, and undermining unions. Fair trade policies will raise standards for workers globally while reducing the economic pressures that drive migration. She will also fight to have the United States join the global minimum corporate tax initiative, ensuring corporations can no longer avoid paying their fair share by shifting profits and jobs overseas.
Protect prevailing wage standards and project labor agreements (PLAs): This is vital to ensuring laborers on federal public works projects are paid competitive wages, are protected with proper safety measures, and can afford a decent standard of living. The Trump administration has threatened to amend or repeal the Davis-Bacon Act and has cut back on the usage of PLAs, opening the door for non-union contractors to undercut wages, skimp on safety, and exploit workers. Dragging down industry standards hurts all workers, union and non-union. Claire is committed to fighting back and securing strong enforcement of Davis-Bacon and PLAs so carpenters, bricklayers, steamfitters, and more are paid what they deserve for their labor.
Fight for a Federal Job Guarantee: For much of this nation’s history, the threat of unemployment has prevented workers from organizing or standing up for their rights. But our laws are designed to maintain a constant level of unemployment that keeps wages depressed and workers insecure. Unemployment is not a personal failure; it is a political choice. And we know there is plenty of useful work to be done: bridges are crumbling, schools, libraries, and parks are understaffed, and children and the elderly need care. We must reclaim the role of “job creation” from greedy, irresponsible billionaires and put it where it belongs: in our communities. The Federal Jobs Guarantee program would create a permanent program like Medicare or Social Security to end involuntary unemployment, teach useful skills, and strengthen local economies and workers’ rights. This would fundamentally transform the power dynamic in the economy, giving every worker permanent job security so they can quit any job where they aren’t provided competitive wages and conditions.
Regulate AI and Enforce Anti-Trust Laws: AI creates an imminent threat to workers privacy and freedom on the job. Claire will fight for bans on electronic workplace surveillance, especially through the use of AI tools. She will introduce legislation that bans the use of AI or automated decision-making systems that impact employment, wages, or discipline. Finally, Claire will fight to strengthen anti-trust laws and the FTC, and she will re-introduce meaningful regulations on key industries, including banking and telecommunications, the past repeals of which have been disastrous for workers and have allowed previously unthinkable levels of corporation consolidation.

Freedom to Live a Good Life

Workers deserve it all, and that means the ability to live a good life. This means a living wage, free high quality healthcare, security to take time off to care for loved ones and rest, and a comfortable retirement. Too many New Yorkers live paycheck to paycheck, unsure if they are able to put food on the table and pay their bills. But even if you’re receiving the essentials like a living wage and healthcare from your employer, our flimsy social safety net means many workers are one layoff or medical bill away from disaster. In Congress, Claire will fight to ensure that everyone is able to receive high quality health care, a living wage, time with their loved ones, and a strong social safety net whether you’re employed, out of work, or retired. Claire will fight to:

Establish a Four-Day, 32 Hour Workweek: Research has shown that a 32-hour work week results in the same levels of productivity, reduces the cumulative number of sick days that workers take, and creates greater worker satisfaction. Increased efficiency brought by technological advancement has only strengthened the case for a four-day week. In Congress, Claire will sponsor legislation to implement a 4-day, 32-hour work week with no change in pay or benefits. You should be able to do your most productive work for the same compensation and enjoy time to rest and enjoy your life with your friends and family.
Raise the Federal Minimum Wage: Despite the mass amount of wealth generated by our economy, many workers are stuck making poverty wages because they have no better option. The current $7.25 federal minimum wage has not increased since 2009 despite a significant nationwide increase in cost of living. The pressure has only increased as the Trump administration is slashing SNAP and Medicaid spending – two federal assistance programs that minimum wage workers rely on to make ends meet. Claire will cosponsor The Raise the Wage Act to raise the federal minimum wage to $17 by 2030. This legislation will eliminate the subminimum wage (below $7.25) for tipped and youth workers and for workers with disabilities. Claire will also continue to support New York City’s push for a $30 by 2030 minimum wage to address the high cost of living in the five boroughs.
Expand Unemployment Insurance: When you lose your job, or go on strike, you shouldn’t have to worry about keeping a roof over your head and putting food on the table. In Congress, Claire will continue her work to expand unemployment insurance benefits and fight to pass the Unemployment Insurance Modernization and Recession Readiness Act. This legislation will ensure that every state offers 26 weeks of unemployment of 75% of your previous wage (100% wage replacement during disasters and public health emergencies), cover the first week of unemployment called the “waiting week”, a period when most lose a week’s worth of wages, and offer these benefits to full-time and part-time workers alike. Additionally, this legislation would create a federal $250 per week “Jobseeker Allowance” program for unemployed workers not covered by traditional unemployment insurance.
Guarantee Paid Family and Medical Leave, Bereavement, and Vacation: We must guarantee universal paid family and medical leave, along with paid vacation and bereavement time, so that no one has to choose between a paycheck and living a full life. Claire will fight to establish a federal floor for at least three months of paid family leave, five days of bereavement leave, 10-20 days of paid vacation based on tenure, and sick time as-needed. A robust national leave program would not only strengthen families but also ensure that caregiving responsibilities are more equitably distributed, helping to reduce long-standing disparities in wages and workforce participation.
Secure Pensions for All: Retirement security must be rebuilt around guaranteed income in old age, not the volatility of individual savings accounts. Claire will fight for a return to defined-benefit pensions that guarantee lifelong monthly income, reversing the post-2007 shift toward 401(k)-style systems that place risks with workers. Retirement should be a collective guarantee, not an individual gamble, and Claire believes employers should be required to provide secure pension systems and protect workers from market exposure in old age.
Pass Medicare for All: Tens of thousands of NY-7 residents are under or uninsured, forgoing needed care and a medical safety net to make ends meet. In Congress, Claire will fight to pass Medicare for All to ensure that all New Yorkers are able to receive high quality, free healthcare, regardless of their employment status. This means an end to copays, high deductibles, and private insurance denials for essential care.