STANDING WITH WORKING FAMILIES
I’ve spent my entire career fighting for workers and their families. And as a dues-paying member of the United Food and Commercial Workers Union, I’ve continued this fight in Congress, where I’m focused on passing the PRO Act to protect workers’ rights and improving pathways to good-paying jobs in Central and Southern Illinois.
Over the last year, we’ve witnessed unprecedented attacks on the federal workforce. That’s why I’ve stood arm-in-arm with them and made clear their hardfought rights will not be ripped away.
- The first bill I introduced in Congress was bipartisan legislation to help workers without college degrees earn higher wages through apprenticeship and pre-apprenticeship programs. My Leveraging and Energizing America’s Apprenticeship Programs (LEAP) Act will create more apprenticeship opportunities for workers and encourage businesses to invest in their workers.
- After hearing about the upfront cost of purchasing tools for folks interested in pursuing a career in the building trades, I introduced the bipartisan Tools Tax Deduction Act to make it easier for apprenticeship employees and construction workers to afford the equipment their jobs require.
- When our service members return home, it’s critical that we help them find good-paying careers. I’ve introduced bipartisan legislation to expand veterans’ access to jobs in science, technology and health care by making it easier to access STEM scholarships.
- When U.S. Steel refused to commit to future investments at Granite City Works and raised the possibility of a shutdown, we stood up and fought back. I was proud to stand alongside the United Steelworkers and the Granite City community to hold U.S. Steel accountable. Together, we secured the restart of the blast furnace and the return of 400 good-paying union jobs.
- After Akorn Pharmaceuticals left working families high and dry with a surprise closure of their Decatur facility, I introduced the Fair Warning Act to strengthen advance notice requirements and ensure that companies are treating working people with the dignity and respect they deserve. I also worked with state and local leaders to successfully attract a new employer to restore jobs at the facility.
- When I’m back home, families tell me every day about the challenges of finding and affording quality child care. The child care workforce remains one of the slowest sectors to recover from the pandemic, and far too many child care workers are still paid wages that don’t reflect the essential work they do. That’s why I’ve been proud to champion investments in our child care system, including cosponsoring the Child Care Stabilization Act to strengthen child care programs, support workers, and help ensure families can access the care they need.
