[Congressional Bills 112th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H. Res. 452 Introduced in House (IH)]

112th CONGRESS
  1st Session
H. RES. 452

   Recognizing the importance labor unions play in ensuring a strong 
   middle class by advocating for more equitable wages, humane work 
   conditions, improved benefits, and increased civic engagement by 
                           everyday workers.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                            November 1, 2011

Mr. Payne (for himself, Mr. George Miller of California, Mr. Bishop of 
  New York, Mr. Kucinich, Mr. Hinojosa, Mrs. Davis of California, Mr. 
Holt, Ms. Bass of California, Mr. Farr, Mr. Frank of Massachusetts, Mr. 
 Jackson of Illinois, Mrs. Maloney, Mr. Lewis of Georgia, Mr. Nadler, 
 Mr. Thompson of Mississippi, Mr. Rush, Mr. McDermott, Ms. Richardson, 
Ms. Fudge, Mr. Moran, Mr. Rangel, Ms. Moore, Mr. Levin, Mr. Honda, Ms. 
    Clarke of New York, Mr. Rothman of New Jersey, Mr. Andrews, Mr. 
   McGovern, Mr. Brady of Pennsylvania, Ms. McCollum, Mr. Baca, Ms. 
    Schakowsky, Mr. Dingell, Mr. Doyle, Mr. Filner, Mr. Deutch, Mr. 
 Gutierrez, Mr. Visclosky, Mr. Loebsack, Mr. Price of North Carolina, 
  Mrs. McCarthy of New York, Mr. Sherman, Ms. Kaptur, Mr. Sires, Ms. 
Slaughter, Mr. Miller of North Carolina, Ms. Jackson Lee of Texas, Mr. 
 Capuano, Mr. Carson of Indiana, Ms. Brown of Florida, Mr. Fattah, Mr. 
 Johnson of Georgia, Mr. Boswell, Mr. Berman, Mr. Towns, Mr. Becerra, 
   Mr. Carney, Mr. Higgins, Ms. Speier, Mr. Grijalva, Mr. Murphy of 
Connecticut, Mr. Ellison, Ms. Wilson of Florida, Ms. Lee of California, 
    Mr. Davis of Illinois, Ms. Norton, Mr. Conyers, Ms. Matsui, Mr. 
Cleaver, Mr. Cohen, Mr. Lynch, Ms. Woolsey, Mrs. Napolitano, Mr. Kind, 
Mr. Meeks, Mr. Critz, Ms. Linda T. Sanchez of California, Mr. Al Green 
  of Texas, Mr. Hastings of Florida, Mrs. Christensen, Mr. Clarke of 
   Michigan, Mr. Pascrell, Mr. Kildee, Ms. Roybal-Allard, Ms. Eddie 
 Bernice Johnson of Texas, Mr. Stark, Mr. Garamendi, Mr. Michaud, Mr. 
   Markey, Mr. Pallone, Mr. Richmond, Mr. Cummings, Ms. Edwards, Mr. 
Israel, Ms. DeLauro, Mr. Ryan of Ohio, Ms. Sutton, Ms. Berkley, Mr. Van 
 Hollen, and Mr. Peters) submitted the following resolution; which was 
        referred to the Committee on Education and the Workforce

_______________________________________________________________________

                               RESOLUTION


 
   Recognizing the importance labor unions play in ensuring a strong 
   middle class by advocating for more equitable wages, humane work 
   conditions, improved benefits, and increased civic engagement by 
                           everyday workers.

Whereas labor unions make the middle class strong by ensuring workers have a 
        voice in both the market and in the Nation's democracy;
Whereas, if unionization rates increased by 10 percentage points, the typical 
        middle class household would earn $1,479 more this year, according to a 
        study by the Center for American Progress;
Whereas studies have found in areas with higher unionization rates there also is 
        greater civic engagement;
Whereas unions raise the hourly wages of union workers by an average of 15 
        percent, according to a study by the Center for Economic and Policy 
        Research, and members are much more likely to receive benefits;
Whereas unions benefit even non-union workers--particularly in highly unionized 
        industries--by setting a high-standard for benefits and wages that other 
        employers must meet;
Whereas unions build career ladders to the middle class by increasing workers' 
        access to career advancement through training;
Whereas unions and their benefits are an especially critical component in the 
        economic mobility of women and communities of color;
Whereas unions advance government policies that support the middle class, 
        including the creation of the social safety net with programs such as 
        Social Security and Medicare;
Whereas, throughout the middle part of the 20th century, when unions were 
        stronger, unions helped build the middle class by ensuring that American 
        workers were rewarded for their increased productivity with higher 
        wages;
Whereas today unions continue to fight for laws that support the middle class 
        such as minimum wage laws and the Patient Protection and Affordable Care 
        Act of 2010, which ensures that all Americans will have access to health 
        insurance; and
Whereas the countries with the strongest middle class all have strong union 
        movements: Now, therefore, be it
    Resolved, That the House of Representatives recognizes the 
importance labor unions play in ensuring a strong middle class by 
advocating for more equitable wages, humane work conditions, improved 
benefits, and increased civic engagement by everyday workers.
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