IV 112th CONGRESS 1st Session H. RES. 452 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. Sánchez 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

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.