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Clean Slate for Worker Power: Building a Just Economy and Democracy Clean Slate for Worker Power Clean Slate for Worker Power: Building a Just Economy and Democracy clean slate for worker power clean slate for worker power CLEAN SLATE FOR WORKER POWER: BUILDING A JUST ECONOMY AND DEMOCRACY A report by Sharon Block and Benjamin Sachs A project of the Labor and Worklife Program, Harvard Law School TABLE OF CONTENTS EXECUTIVE SUMMARY ..................................................................................................................................... 1 SECTION 1 .................................................................................................................................................................. 9 INTRODUCTION SECTION 2 ...............................................................................................................................................................16 SYSTEMIC RACIAL AND GENDER OPPRESSION AND ITS RELATIONSHIP TO LABOR LAW The History of Labor Law .......................................................................................................................................16 The Potential of Labor Law ....................................................................................................................................18 The Future of Labor Law ........................................................................................................................................20 TERRENCE WISE'S STORY .............................................................................................................................21 SECTION 3 ......................................................................................................................................................22 CLEAN SLATE RECOMMENDATIONS FOR BUILDING WORKER POWER 3A. Foster Inclusion .................................................................................................................................................22 Agricultural and Domestic Workers ......................................................................................................23 Undocumented Workers .........................................................................................................................24 Independent Contractors ........................................................................................................................25 Workers Who Are Incarcerated .............................................................................................................27 Workers with Disabilities ........................................................................................................................27 3B. Transform Representation Rights ..........................................................................................................28 Workplace Representation .....................................................................................................................29 Sectoral Representation ..........................................................................................................................37 3C. Fortify Organizing Rights ...............................................................................................................................45 Just-Cause Protection from Retaliation .....................................................................................................46 Organizer Access ..............................................................................................................................................50 Employer Conduct ............................................................................................................................................50 Mechanisms of Choice ....................................................................................................................................52 Digital Access ....................................................................................................................................................53 3D. Reimagine Collective Action Rights ............................................................................................................55 Provide a Meaningful Right to Strike, Walk Out, Picket, and Boycott ............................................................................................................................................56 Enhance Workers’ Access to Each Other for the Purpose of Engaging in Collective Action .......................................................................................................................63 Create Online Analogues for In-Real-Life Collective Action ...............................................................64 3E. Expand Bargaining Rights .............................................................................................................................64 Expand the Range of Bargaining Subjects ...................................................................................................66 Bring Community Groups to the Bargaining Table .....................................................................................68 Impasse, Unilateral Changes, and Interest Arbitration ..............................................................................70 3F. Reform Corporate Law ....................................................................................................................................71 Require Workers on Corporate Boards ......................................................................................................72 Impose a Fiduciary Duty to Workers, Not Just to Shareholders ................................................................................................................................73 Restructure Corporate Governance ............................................................................................................75 Make Managerial and Entrepreneurial Decisions Mandatory Subjects of Bargaining .................................................................................................................76 3G. Reform the Rules of Democratic Participation ........................................................................................76 Make Registering to Vote and Voting Easier for Workers ..........................................................................77 Mandate Paid Time Off to Engage in Civic Activity ....................................................................................78 End Coercion of Employees by Employers in the Political Process ..................................................................................................................................................79 3H. Allow State and Local Labor Law Experimentation ..............................................................................80 SECTION 4 ...................................................................................................................................................................... 83 FURTHER CLEAN SLATE RECOMMENDATIONS FOR BUILDING WORKER POWER 4A. Build Power Through New and Enhanced Mechanisms for Generating Revenue .........................................................................................................................................83 4B. Build Power Through Labor Standards Enforcement ...........................................................................87 Give Workers a Formal Role Within Government Enforcement of Labor Standards ................................................................................................................................................... 88 Facilitate Enforcement by Workers and Their Organizations Outside of Government Enforcement Agencies ..........................................................................................91 4C. Set Conditions on Use of Taxpayer Money ...............................................................................................94 4D. Ensure Broader Inclusion in the Definition of Employee ....................................................................96 Inclusion of Certain Supervisors and Managers .........................................................................................96 Inclusion of Workers with Multiple Purposes for Work ..............................................................................97 4E. Utilize New and Enhanced Mechanisms for Organization-Building ......................................................................................................................................98 Create a Worker Organization Administration to Train Workers in Organizing and Representational Responsibilities .................................................................................99 Hiring Halls .........................................................................................................................................................100 Benefits Navigation and Administration ......................................................................................................100 SECTION 5 .............................................................................................................................................................102 TOPICS FOR FURTHER CONSIDERATION 5A. Creation of Labor Courts ..............................................................................................................................102 5B. Promotion of Competition in the Labor Market ....................................................................................103
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