Dear Representative:
On behalf of the AFL-CIO, I urge you to become an original cosponsor of the “Food Worker Pay Standards Act,” legislation that will require the federal government to pay fair wages when it purchases meat, poultry and processed food for the Department of Defense, Veterans Administration and other federal agencies. This legislation will not only result in fairer pay for food workers, but also in safer food for the consumers of government-purchased food.
Specifically, the bill would require that workers who process meat, poultry or processed food for the federal government be paid at or above the prevailing rate in their locality. The law would ensure that their compensation would at least equal the pay and benefits agreed to in collective bargaining agreements in those industries.
Food processing plants that operate under collective bargaining agreements are more likely to have effective safety and health programs that lead to safer conditions for the workers and safer food for the consumer. In addition, states that have adopted fair contracting policies benefit taxpayers because they deliver more reliable services with fewer hidden costs.
We urge you to become an original cosponsor of this important bill. To sign on, please contact Alex Campbell in Rep. Mark Pocan’s office ([email protected]). The deadline is February 25, 2020.
Sincerely,
William Samuel
Director, Government Affairs