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Dear Friend,
While you and your families are dealing with higher costs, Republicans failed to put forward a single bill to lower the cost of living or make life easier for hardworking people. That is why this week, House Democrats forced a vote on a three-year extension of Affordable Care Act tax credits. Speaker Johnson fought at every turn to prevent this bill from coming to the floor, but House Democrats never gave up. Everyone deserves access to quality, affordable healthcare. But healthcare costs aren't the only thing holding working families.
As the only union electrician in Congress and Co-Chair of the Congressional Labor Caucus, I know what it means to stand up for fair wages, safe workplaces, and the dignity that every worker deserves. I lived it on the jobsite, I fought for it at the bargaining table, and I am fighting for it every day in Washington.
Last week, I pushed forward several efforts to bring fairness, transparency, and accountability back to our workplaces.
Fighting for App-Based Workers
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Rep. Norcross speaks at a press conference to announce the introduction of the Empowering App-Based Workers Act. You can watch the full press conference here.
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As an electrician, I knew who my boss was, knew my pay, and knew how decisions were made. App-based workers like Uber and DoorDash drivers do not get that same transparency.
These workers are being exploited in ways most Americans never see. Companies use hidden algorithms to control pay and assignments. Workers are watching their earnings drop while corporate profits soar, and even after working long hours, nights, and weekends, they cannot count on stable pay.
It is time to give these workers the transparency and fairness they deserve. The Empowering App-Based Workers Act requires companies to provide detailed weekly pay statements and ensures drivers receive a fair share of each fare. It forces companies to explain how decisions are made that affect a worker’s livelihood.
In my day, you knew who the boss was. Today, workers deserve to know who is calling the shots.
Standing up for Federal Workers
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Congressman Norcross speaks on the House floor in support of our nation’s federal workers. You can watch the floor speech here.
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Earlier this year, President Trump launched one of the largest attacks on labor in modern history by stripping federal workers of their collective bargaining rights, falsely claiming that this right is a national security risk. Federal workers have exercised these rights for more than 60 years under both Democratic and Republican administrations. They are already banned from striking, so the Administration’s national security claims are simply not true.
More than one million federal workers were affected by this order, including many of our defense employees. That is why I introduced an amendment to the annual defense bill to restore their collective bargaining rights. The House passed it, but President Trump and Speaker Johnson stripped this bipartisan provision away.
Unions are created when workers come together and organize through a democratic process. Trump’s executive order silences workers and overrides their right to representation. I will keep fighting to restore these rights.
Protecting Workers on and off the Job
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Congressman Norcross leads a meeting of the Congressional Labor Caucus.
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With President Trump dismantling the Department of Labor, protecting workers is more important than ever. I have spent decades on the jobsite. I have seen what happens when safety rules are ignored. Workers get hurt.
Right now, weak penalties allow bad actors to break the law and treat it as the cost of doing business. It is time to change that. The Let’s Protect Workers Act adds real penalties for union busting, retaliating against workers who take family medical leave, child labor violations, minimum wage and overtime violations, and health and safety abuses.
The House Committee on Education and Labor, which I am a member of, released a new report showing how weak penalties allow bad actors to treat violations as the cost of doing business. Our bill, the Let's Protect Workers Act will level the playing field so responsible employers are not undercut by the ones who cut corners. It is a simple principle. Every worker deserves dignity. Every employer should play by the rules.
To keep up with the work I am doing as your representative, please subscribe to my newsletter and follow me on Bluesky, Facebook, Twitter/X, and Instagram.
Sincerely,
Donald Norcross
Member of Congress
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