As the state Legislature prepares to return to session, a new report assessing the best and worst states to work in America just ranked Pennsylvania in 24th place, putting Pennsylvania behind every bordering neighbor except West Virginia.
That’s just the overall assessment. Drill down specifically to labor wage policies, and Pennsylvania drops down to 36th place. Consider worker protection policies, and we drop another slot to 37th place.
The report’s authors note state labor policies are more important than ever given Congress has failed to advance policies to expand worker protections, ensure a living wage, and otherwise update labor laws that reflect valuing family life and economic security.
From the report:
“The landscape in Congress and the administration has changed dramatically. Today, federal labor laws and standards are, at best, at a standstill; in many cases, agencies and departments are being dismantled or reoriented toward the interests of big corporations rather than workers. In just one glaring example, the federal minimum wage, which has not been raised from $7.25 an hour in over a decade, now puts a family of two officially under the poverty level.
Fortunately, state and local governments understand the urgency for action, and the benefits of supporting workers; most states have passed laws that exceed frozen federal policies. For example, 30 states have raised their minimum wage (from $7.50 in New Mexico to $14 in the District of Columbia); states have also protected the right to organize, ensured paid sick leave, established accommodations for pregnancy, and more.”
Unfortunately, unlike so many other states, leaders of Pennsylvania’s General Assembly have failed to take action and in some cases have strategized to block progress for workers by promoting state “pre-emption” laws that, if passed, would block and even retroactively reverse some local worker protections.
Pennsylvania’s legislature is the second-highest salary in the country, yet have so far refused to raise the minimum wage above the poverty wage of $7.25 per hour.
Despite leadership touting themselves as “pro-life,” Committee chairs have repeatedly blocked a bill that would ensure pregnant workers can obtain a glass of water while working. They have also blocked legislation designed to reduce infant mortality by protecting new moms who need to pump milk in the workplace to keep breastfeeding after returning to work (which is often too soon, given the lack of paid leave).
Meanwhile, allegations of sexual harassment by members of the General Assembly made more national newspaper headlines than sexual harassment policies made headway. Last session, amid the rise of #MeToo and multiple allegations of harassment by male legislators, we witnessed a male chair of the Labor Committee publicly withdraw support for sexual harassment protections because, he said, he was personally mad at the female legislator co-sponsoring the bill.
A year later, we’re in the same place.
Despite lawmakers drafting and introducing bills designed to close loopholes in Pennsylvania’s equal pay law every single session, the General Assembly has held hearings on the issue but still refused to allow a vote.
While ignoring the needs of working Pennsylvanians and leading the state into a sadly well-deserved reputation as an outlier in the northeast, the politicians in charge have signaled an appetite for more laws designed to strip low-income people of their constitutional right to safe, legal abortion care. We expect to see a six-week abortion ban this session.
Read the report here.
What can we do?
Harrisburg is changing. As of last fall, we are (slightly) closer to representational democracy in Pennsylvania. This fall is going to be a fight on these issues and more. Stay on top of what’s happening and speak out when you can.
If you don’t personally know your representative, now is the time to change that. Every representative should have office hours to meet with constituents and to hear what is important to you. Find your legislator, call their office, and set up an appointment. (Want more help? Email WLP’s Tara Murtha at tmurtha@womenslawproject.org.)
Sign up for Action Alerts. Post and share the link. Send your friends the link and urge them to sign up. Progress doesn’t happen unless we all come together.
Speaking of, that is the theme of our annual part this year. Mark your calendar for November 22, 2019 and please join us at our annual Philadelphia party.
The Women’s Law Project is a public interest law center devoted to defending and expanding the rights of women, girls, and LGBTQ people in Pennsylvania and beyond.
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