Press Call by Vice President Harris, Secretary Janet Yellen, and Senior Administration Officials on the Treasury Worker Task Force Report Release

"Thank you.

Good afternoon, everyone. It is good with -- to be with you today to make an historic announcement: For the first time, our nation's oldest and largest financial agency, the Treasury Department of the United States, is releasing a comprehensive analysis of the positive impact of unions on the middle class and on America's economy.

For generations, union workers have fought for and won higher wages, better benefits, and safer working conditions for millions of American workers.

Union organizing and collective bargaining has made it possible for so many working families to buy a home, build a future, and retire with dignity.

And the victories won by union workers benefit all workers. Union organizing secured the five-day work week, paid sick leave, and safety standards.

And we know union workers have been the backbone of America's middle class. And yet, for too long, the contributions of union workers have not been fully appreciated.

I am proud to serve as the head of the White House Task Force on Worker Organizing and Empowerment. For the first year of our administration, with former Secretary of Labor Marty Walsh, I worked with union leaders and partners across our administration to identify ways we could lower barriers to unionization.

Last year, I presented President Biden with a list of more than 70 recommendations on how our administration could support union workers and expand the right to organize in the public and private sectors.

Conducting this report was one of our recommendations. And its findings are definitive: Union organizing creates significant economic benefits both for union workers and non-union workers.

On average, union workers earn up to 15 percent more in pay than non-union workers in the same occupations. Union workers also receive retirement benefits, paid sick leave, life insurance, and discounts on childcare at a much higher rate. And that matters.

As a point of personal background: As many of you know, I was born in Oakland, California, and I grew up in a neighborhood of hard-working folks -- nurses and firefighters and construction workers and teachers. And I understood, then, from an early age that there is dignity in all work. There is value in all work. And I understood how important it is, then, that our leaders recognize and respect the dignity of that work.

Because -- think about it: If a worker gets sick, understanding the importance of what they give to society through their work, they should be able to take a day off when they're sick without losing a paycheck. And after a lifetime of hard work, every person should be able to live with dignity in retirement.

As this report lays out, union workers also fight for equitable pay and against harassment and discrimination in the workplace. By doing that, they reduce income inequality and build an economy where workers of every age and every background, every gender can succeed.

Unions are also some of America's best in terms of workforce training programs. Union apprenticeships provide so many workers with a pathway toward the middle class. Union apprenticeships are one of the primary reasons why union workers are some of the most highly skilled, highly experienced workers in our country.

And for so many workers, the union is more than just a job. It is a family. Over the course of my career, I have met with thousands of union workers -- including, as Vice President,
steelworkers in Nevada, plumbers and pipefitters in New Jersey, members of IBEW all across our country.

And in these conversations, workers often tell me about what it means for them to be a part of a union. They talk about community and solidarity and the shared belief that nobody should be made to fight alone. And that is one of the great powers of a union.

And, again, when union workers stand in solidarity and fight for better wages, better benefits, and better working conditions, it benefits all workers.

As this report demonstrates, when union workers bargain for higher pay, it increases pressure on non-union companies to raise pay as well to stay competitive in the labor market.

And when union workers advocate for stronger workplace safety regulations, it makes all workplaces more safe as an extension.

This report reinforces what President Biden and I have always known to be true: Union workers make our middle class and our entire economy more strong. And that is why we are leading proudly the most pro-union administration in America's history.

We have eliminated barriers to unionization in both the private and public sectors. For example, we made it easier for union representatives to organize on federal property. And we have strengthened the enforcement of retaliation protections for private-sector workers.

We have also made sure that our historic investment in rebuilding America's infrastructure includes strong labor protections and creates good-paying union jobs.

And earlier this month, standing with painters, electricians, and laborers in Philadelphia, I announced that we are giving more than one million workers on federal contracts a raise by updating Davis-Bacon standards.

And all of this, I will say in conclusion, is part of a larger strategy.

Far too long, our economy has not been working for working people. Trickle-down economics benefitted big corporations and the wealthiest of Americans, but not really America's workers.

President Biden and I are building an economy where every person, not just the wealthy or well-connected, has the opportunity to thrive.

And simply put: That is Bidenomics.

And that is why we will continue to do everything in our power to support the working people of America.

I thank you, and now I'm going to turn it over to one of our nation's greatest champions for working families and an essential partner to President Biden and me, the great Secretary Janet Yellen."

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