President Joe Biden on Friday signed what the White House called a landmark pro-union labor standards executive order during a trip to Ann Arbor, Mich. In 2023, Biden became the first sitting president to walk a union picket line with striking UAW workers in the state. File Photo by Tannen Maury/UPI | License Photo
Sept. 6 (UPI) -- President Joe Biden signed what the White House called a landmark pro-union executive order giving workers more opportunities to join unions Friday while visiting the election battleground state of Michigan.
Biden signed his Good Jobs Executive Order at the United Association Local 190 Training Center in Ann Arbor, Mich., after delivering a ringing endorsement of the American organized labor movement and denouncing what he called the "union-busting" record of Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump.
Appearing with acting Labor Secretary Julie Su, Michigan Democrats such as Sen. Debbie Stabenow and Rep. Debbie Dingell, as well as local leaders of unions such as the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers and United Steelworkers. Biden touted the pro-union policies of the executive order.
Under its provisions, all federal agencies are directed to adhere to a "clear list of labor standards" when awarding dollars for government funded projects, including prioritizing those using pro-worker instruments such as Project Labor Agreements, Community Benefits Agreements, voluntary union recognition and neutrality with respect to union organizing.
It also directs federal agencies to look favorably upon projects that offer prevailing wage standards and other equitable compensation practices such as prioritizing equal pay and pay transparency.
Union labor, Biden declared, "built the middle class. We put workers first. We invest in all of America. Everybody in America deserves one thing -- a fighting chance. That is why [Vice President] Kamala [Harris] and I are so proud of the greatest job creation record of any single presidential term in American history."
He signed the order hours after the Labor Department reported payroll employment increased by 142,000 in August, with the construction adding 34,000 jobs and the healthcare sector growing by 31,000.
As Harris focuses on election battleground states with large contingents of unionized workers, Biden sought to draw a sharp contrast with the GOP ticket of Trump and Sen. JD Vance of Ohio.
"When Trump was president, he appointed union busters [to the National Labor Relations Board] -- an organization that is designed to promote unions. By the way, do you think he has any damn idea what we do? I wonder whether he has any notion what a hard day's work is. All he did was lose his father's money."
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A Harris administration, he promised, would "put workers first."
"We are seeing the great American comeback story," Biden said of his administration's jobs record. "My predecessor believes America is a failing nation. He is a failing president and a failing man. He is wrong, America is not failing, we are winning."
As Biden signed the "Good Jobs EO" in the union hall, the White House touted its provisions promoting worker economic security by directing federal agencies to prioritize "projects that supply the benefits that workers need-including child and dependent care to health insurance, paid leave, and retirement benefits."
The order also supports workforce development using registered apprenticeships, pre-apprenticeships, labor-management partnerships, and partnerships with training organizations including community colleges, public workforce boards, and the American Climate Corps.
Friday's signing event is part of a bigger tour across America to profile workers and communities the White House said are "reaping the rewards of the Biden-Harris Administration's Investing in America agenda."
The Michigan appearance sought to draw attention to Biden's history in backing the labor movement. The president mentioned walking a union picket line with UAW workers in the Detroit area last year to support their strike.
Harris' presidential campaign has said as president she will support the Protecting the Right to Organize, or PRO Act. The bill was passed by the Democrat-controlled House in 2021 but was opposed by Republicans with 205 GOP House members voting against it.
The bill would make significant upgrades in labor law to strengthen worker rights to freely join unions.
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