Issue Position: Jobs

Issue Position

Vision

Creating stable and well-paying jobs for our residents is fundamental to the Mon Valley's future. From ensuring that people can earn livable wages to making it easier for workers to exercise their rights to organize. This vision forward also includes encouraging the continuing growth of the Marcellus Shale industry jobs. Innovative manufacturing jobs are a key component to our future. Revitalizing the manufacturing industry is critical to creating family-sustaining jobs.

Solutions

* As your State Representative, I will fight to increase workers' wages by increasing the minimum wage to a living wage. No one who works full time in this Commonwealth should have to raise a family in poverty. I will fight to raise the Commonwealth's minimum wage to $15 an hour.

* Currently, Republicans in the Pennsylvania House of Representatives are continuing their vicious assault on labor unions and workers. The right of workers to organize and bargain collectively for better wages and benefits must be protected in Pennsylvania. As your State Representative, I will vigorously fight so called "right to work" laws. I will oppose any law that would eliminate dues check-off procedures, roll-back prevailing wage standards, abolish fair share requirements, restrict the use of voluntary membership payments for political purposes, restrict due process protections, or require annual recertification efforts.

* In order for the Marcelles Shale industry to grow and create more jobs, we must streamline the Commonwealth's permitting process to ensure that bureaucracy does not impede job growth. In addition, we must support the production of distribution pipes to move natural gas. The 35th district is home to Dura-bond Industries which produces these distribution pipes.

* As your State Representative, continuing the redevelopment of our brownfield sites in McKeesport and Duquesne will be a top priority. The attraction of new and growing industries to these sites will be critical to putting our residents to work and revitalizing our communities. State programs like the Keystone Opportunity Zones and Keystone Opportunity Expansion Zones programs have shown success at attracting private sector investment to distressed areas.

* Connecting our residents to job training programs are key to their future employment. As your State Representative, I will work with our workforce development agencies to ensure that our residents have the access to training programs that will lead to employment. In Harrisburg I will fight for more investments in workforce development programs.

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