Across the country, local elected leaders–in collaboration with labor unions and worker advocates–are defining the mission of local governance to include advancing and safeguarding workers’ rights. That’s because we know that when working people do well, our communities and democracy thrive as well.
As some states grow ever more hostile to the exercise of local democracy, they have abused state preemption to limit the scope of local action to help working people. And all localities face limitations placed by long-standing federal preemption.
This Labor Day, we’re releasing a new resource with Terri Gerstein, Director of the NYU Wagner Labor Initiative, How Local Government Can Stand Up for Workers When States Try to Stand in Their Way, that outlines concrete opportunities for local governments to protect workers
The report includes ideas like:
- Creating dedicated local labor agencies
- Establishing worker boards to institutionalize worker voices within local government
- Improving working conditions for their own public employee workforces
- improving working standards by government contractors
- Ensuring compliance with labor standards by permit and license holders
NOTE: The featured image on this page is from Wisconsin Examiner article “Milwaukee Bucks, Deer District community benefit deal seen as model for more development.”