The Platform of the Massachusetts Democratic Party
PART X: WORKERS’ RIGHTS AND FUTURES

Right to Organize and Strike, and Collective Bargaining.

We fully support the principle, guaranteed under federal and state law, that employees are entitled to a free choice to form a union without interference, intimidation, or fear of reprisals from employers. We believe the expansion of collective bargaining assures workplace democracy and is the best remedy to the crucial problem of wage inequality that has meant that too many families are not sharing in the economic bounty of our nation. To make these rights meaningful, we strongly support the right of workers to strike and to do so without threat of being permanently replaced, and we oppose all proposals, state or federal, that would diminish this right.

Contingent Workers.

We support the creation and maintenance of full-time jobs that provide a living wage and benefits. We are concerned by the rise in parttime, temporary, and other contingent jobs that pay less than permanent jobs, lack benefits, and offer no job security. This trend, demonstrated by such diverse examples as the growth of temporary employment agencies and universities’ increased use of adjunct professors, runs counter to our belief in a different model. We believe jobs should deliver wages sufficient to support families, appropriate health and other benefits, and the prospect of a secure retirement. We support policies that promote equal pay for contingent workers doing the same work as permanent employees, and comparable benefits or equivalent compensation for these workers.

Wages.

We believe Americans who work productively in a full-time job earn the right to a wage that is sufficient to make ends meets and to live above poverty. We strongly support state and federal minimum wage laws, and seek to restore their buying power to more reasonable levels, including by indexing to inflation the minimum wage assured by such laws. We support the state prevailing wage law and its enforcement. We endorse the Responsible Employer Ordinance and its requirements, which are: pay the prevailing wage, provide health insurance for all employees, be affiliated with a state-certified apprenticeship program, classify workers as employees and not “independent contractors,” provide appropriate workers compensation insurance for employees, and comply with local residency requirements when insisted upon by the community. We support measures to halt abusive practices that unjustly reduce wages, such as unfair and excessive payroll deductions for employer mandated transportation services.

Occupational Safety.

We believe that the right of workers to be safe in their work environment must be protected. We support the Comprehensive Occupational Safety and Health Reform Act to strengthen the protections guaranteed to workers against workplace hazards. We support environmental Right-to-Know laws about chemical and other potential dangers to worker health. We oppose efforts to weaken workplace safety standards, or the ability of OSHA or state-level agencies to enforce them.

Discrimination in the Workplace.

We believe in equal employment opportunities for all citizens and a fair chance to obtain a meaningful job. We endorse equal access to all trades and occupations without regard to race, ethnicity, religion, age, gender, sexual orientation, or disability. We endorse equal pay and benefits for work of comparable worth. We endorse the requirement of adequate workplace notice and uniform grievance procedures. We call for the enforcement of civil protections for victims of discrimination and sexual harassment in the workplace, and for extending the statute of limitations for filing workplace discrimination and sexual harassment complaints. We believe that workplace wage and anti-discrimination protections should extend to workers in the public as well as private sectors.

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