2020 CAP TABLE OF CONTENTS A Message from President Rory L. Gamble ………………… 2 Issues …………………………………………………………………3 Political Almanac ……………………………………………… 27 Roll Call …………………………………………………………… 67 UAW NATIONAL COMMUNITY ACTION PROGRAM (CAP) WASHINGTON, D.C. Feb. 2-5, 2020 UAW National Community Action Program (CAP) • Washington DC • February 2-5, 2020 1 A MESSAGE FROM PRESIDENT RORY L. GAMBLE Greetings Fellow UAW Activists: Thank you for all your hard work and dedication. With a powerful Community Action Program (CAP) voice, the UAW is a champion for pro- worker policies in our cities and state houses, as well as in Washington. In this current political climate, our activism and energy are needed to defend against bad anti-worker legislation and regulations on health care, taxes, collective bargaining rights, and to fight for social justice and civil liberties. At the UAW we understand that political action is community action. We represent the voice of UAW members, America’s middle-class families and the future jobs and prosperity for our nation. Make no mistake, we are in a fight and we are up against a well-financed, aggressive anti-worker coalition. The influence of wealthy ultra-conservatives has been felt time and time again in Washington and in state capitals. So-called right-to-work legislation has spread into the industrial heartland. Decades of progress on issues such as health and safety, workers’ compensation and others are in peril. Though we lack the money of wealthy conservatives and corporate America, we have an army of committed activists driven not by greed but by the values of equality, fairness and justice. There is great discontent in our country and the 2020 elections will be a chance to elect pro-worker candidates. Our union, with CAP activists on the front lines, will have a crucial part to play in those elections. We need to elect lawmakers who understand and support our agenda; a president, state governors and other elected leaders, and lawmakers who understand that a healthy democracy represents all Americans rather than the wealthy few. Our objective this year is to advance through political action laws and policies that: • Protect and strengthen collective bargaining and organizing rights. • Advance and protect equality in the workplace and under the law. • Prioritize the needs of working people over corporate greed. • Make certain any rewrite of our trade agreements is enforced and benefits workers and communities. • Protect our democracy from election rules that disenfranchise voters. Clearly, we have a great task in front of us. We must be the tip of the spear that helps cut through the political gridlock and anti-worker sentiment that is so widespread. We do this through actively participating in the electoral process and in our communities. We educate our co-workers, neighbors and friends on the benefits of electing pro- worker candidates and the dangers of complacency. We work for pro-worker candidates by phone banking, door knocking, holding conversations in the workplace, at the dinner table, and on social media. But, most importantly, we bring passion and commitment to our task of making this country a better and more equal place to live and work. We thank you for what you have done in the past and for what we know you will do in this election year. With your continued activism, we can make a better future for all Americans. In Solidarity, Rory Gamble President, UAW International Union 2 UAW National Community Action Program (CAP) • Washington DC • February 2-5, 2020 2020 CAP ISSUES Freedom to Form Unions …………………………………………4 Strengthening Middle Class by Raising Wages ………………6 Health Care ………………………………………………………… 7 International Trade ……………………………………………… 9 Judicial Nominations …………………………………………… 11 Manufacturing Jobs …………………………………………… 11 Infrastructure …………………………………………………… 12 Federal Budget and Taxes …………………………………… 13 Retirement Security …………………………………………… 14 Immigration ……………………………………………………… 16 Civil Rights & Voting Rights ………………………………… 17 Money and Politics …………………………………………… 19 Energy and the Environment ………………………………… 20 Education and Job Training …………………………………… 22 Health and Safety ……………………………………………… 24 Veterans ………………………………………………………… 26 UAW National Community Action Program (CAP) • Washington DC • February 2-5, 2020 3 ISSUES FREEDOM TO FORM UNIONS The right of workers to come together and of anti-worker forces have taken a toll as wages and collectively bargain with their employer is an benefits have not kept up with the true cost of living for internationally recognized human right protected by the the vast majority of working Americans. First Amendment of the U.S. Constitution and enshrined Fortunately, the new Democratic House Majority in U.S. law by the National Labor Relations Act (NLRA) is advancing pro-worker, pro-labor legislation. House over eight decades ago. Education and Labor Committee Democrats passed the The right to form a union paved the way for the Protecting the Right to Organize Act (PRO) Act last fall creation of a strong middle class. Over time, unions and it could be voted on by the full House anytime. We have vastly improved workplace rights, wages, benefits, endorsed the PRO Act as it would strengthen penalties and conditions for all workers. A worker with a union against corporations that violate workers’ rights, provide contract earns, on average, 13.2 percent more in wages for mediation and arbitration of first contracts, eliminate than a peer with similar education, occupation, and right to work, prohibit captive audience meetings, and experience in a nonunionized workplace in the same support workers’ right to strike for basic workplace sector. improvements. The union advantage persists despite a decline in In addition to the PRO Act, House Democrats union density. The percent of workers belonging to introduced the Public Service Freedom to Negotiate unions was 20.1 percent in 1983, while today it is less Act (H.R. 3463). This bill would strengthen labor rights than 11 percent. The decline is particularly pronounced in the public sector by reversing the Supreme Court’s in the private sector as the percentage has fallen to 6.4 dreadful Janus v. AFSCME decision and adding additional percent, levels not seen since 1932. It comes as little protections. Pro-labor legislation is nearly certain to surprise that as union membership declines, the gap be blocked in the Republican-led Senate but forward between the extremely wealthy and everyone else gets progress in the House is needed to take advantage of wider and wider. The gap between the richest and the future opportunities to advance pro-worker legislation in poorest U.S. household is now the largest that it has been a more favorable political environment. in 50 years. The wealthiest 1 percent of families in the At the same time, anti-worker policies and court United States hold approximately 40 percent of all wealth rulings continue to proliferate. Since taking office the while the bottom 90 percent of families hold less than one Trump administration has pursued an aggressive agenda quarter of all wealth. aimed at curtailing workers’ rights by gutting protections. Why has this happened and what we can do to These efforts have made it harder for workers to secure a reverse the tide? better future for themselves and their families. Eliminating Staggering wealth inequality can be attributed to these basic labor protections is a loss to all working men many factors and there is no silver bullet solution to and women. close the gap. Bad trade and tax laws that encourage the The administration and right-wing members of outsourcing of middle-class union jobs are important Congress have advanced a relentless anti-worker agenda factors. Yet misguided trade agreements and tax laws only through executive orders, federal rulemaking, and tell part of the story as there is no doubt that constant stacking the courts with anti-union federal judges who attacks by anti-worker special interest groups and enjoy lifetime appointments. Since the beginning of his politicians have played an outsized role as the NLRA failed administration, President Trump has signed over 130 to protect workers as it was intended. executive orders. He has issued orders to undo a range of Employers routinely hire anti-union consultants who policies that were enacted by the Obama administration advise them to use a variety of legal and illegal tactics with our support. The Trump administration has zeroed to stop workers from organizing and to frustrate the in on federal workers. In 2017, President Trump issued collective bargaining process. According to the Economic three executive orders which severely erode collective Policy Institute (EPI), in one of every three campaigns, bargaining rights of federal government workers. The employers fire pro-union workers, and spend at least $1 administration has more direct control over labor billion annually in opposition to organizing. Ninety percent standards of federal workers since the federal government of employers require captive-audience meetings to is the employer. These executive orders are clearly dissuade workers from joining a union. Sadly, the efforts designed to limit the power of federal employee unions 4 UAW National Community Action Program (CAP) • Washington DC • February 2-5, 2020 ISSUES by streamlining collective bargaining negotiations, reducing as the president with the highest number of judges the number of work hours union members can spend confirmed in his first term. President Nixon appointed on union business, and making it easier to fire federal 235 federal judges during his presidency, which surpassed workers. the previous record of 193 set by Franklin D. Roosevelt. To cite one example of many, in June 2019 Under Senator Mitch McConnell’s leadership, Republicans the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) are filling the appellate judicial seats they held open during informed workers in an email that it would implement a President Barack Obama’s final two years in office with new contract unilaterally. Attacks on federal workers are right-wing judges who have lifetime tenure. A significant part of a larger effort to eliminate unions.