Worker rights and labor protections are essential for ensuring that workers are treated fairly and with dignity. These protections help to prevent exploitation, provide job security, and promote economic stability for workers and their families. Without strong labor protections, workers may be subject to wage theft, unsafe working conditions, and other forms of abuse and mistreatment.

• In 2020, the Economic Policy Institute estimated that wage theft costs American workers over $50 billion per year.

• According to data from the Occupational Safety and Health Administration, over 5,000 workers in the United States died on the job in 2019, and there were over 2.8 million non-fatal workplace injuries and illnesses reported.

• Union membership in the United States has declined significantly over the past several decades, with just 10.8% of workers belonging to a union in 2020, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics.

Addressing worker rights and labor protections will require a multi-faceted approach, including both policy and individual actions. 

Strengthening labor laws: One approach to promoting worker rights and labor protections is through strengthening labor laws. This could involve increasing penalties for wage theft, expanding the scope of workplace safety regulations, and ensuring that workers have the right to organize and collectively bargain for better wages and working conditions.

Promoting worker education and empowerment: Another important strategy for promoting worker rights is through worker education and empowerment. This could involve providing resources and training to help workers understand their rights and advocate for themselves, as well as promoting community-based organizations and other forms of support.

Improving workplace safety: Ensuring that workers have safe working conditions is another critical step toward promoting worker rights and labor protections. This could involve expanding the scope of workplace safety regulations, increasing enforcement of existing regulations, and promoting worker-led safety committees.

Supporting unionization efforts: Finally, supporting unionization efforts is another important strategy for promoting worker rights and labor protections. This could involve providing resources and support to help workers organize, protecting the right to strike, and promoting worker-led organizing campaigns.

By taking these and other steps, we can begin to address the issue of worker rights and labor protections and build a more just and equitable society for all.