The law on the protection of our working rights can serve as a model for cities across the country.
May Day, May 1, 2025 in Philadelphia.
(Zach D Roberts / Nurphoto / Associated Press)
No bad time to get up and protect the rights of the workers, but there is no better time than it is now.
In the first months of his term, Donald Trump dismantled the Department of Labor, illegally fired the former head of the National Council on Labor Relations, rejected hundreds of thousands of federal workers, despite his contracts, and is now trying to complete the collective rights for the list for federal workers.
We are fighting this here in Philadelphia – in partnership with home workers, union members and my colleagues in the City Council of Philadelphia. And what we do can become a model for cities across the country.
One of our major initiatives is the extension of protection for our 750,000 workers and make sure that the Philadelphia has the tools and resources needed to protect their workers, and hold bad subjects that violate the responsibility law. Cities across the country who want to follow the example must seek strengthening local labor policies and ensure effective implementation.
When we are going to take the greed of billionaires and corporations successfully, we need to lead with our values and put them in front of our local fights. Trump and Musk may not take care of the workers, but about the party of working families and our allies who helped in this legislation.
That is why I submitted power or defended the law on fulfilling our workers’ rights together with my 13 colleagues. This is the most significant legislation that offers extensive protection for the workers after Trump’s elections. Legislation adopted earlier today advocate National Workers ‘Workers’ Alliance, AFL-CIO and Black brown workers.
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Fila is the city of the Union. We have deep roots in the struggle for dignity, respect and laws that allow you to avoid poverty, raise family and live a good life. This includes the recently adopted legislation for a fair working week, a higher salary for airport and security workers, as well as one of the first bills on home workers in the country. As a member of the city council and a former domestic worker, I wanted to strengthen and update our current laws, making sure that workers are protected from revenge and can easier to approve their rights. Philadelphians work every day. And we need to provide them with the protection they deserve when they go to work.
With this legislation, we seize the moment, making our Department of Labor more active, more transparent and more compassionate to the needs of daily workers. This bill prevents revenge against workers who claim their rights by accepting stronger legal guarantees for workers and coolest financial fines for employers who violate the law. This allows employees to receive direct financial support when employers violate their rights when earlier all financial punishments went exclusively to the city – as well as strengthening our Department of Labor, which allows for a more diligent and active investigation in the workplace and allow the deportation to suspend bad employers’ business licenses. It also gives employees the opportunity to engage in private rights and provides for more public reporting, including the “database of bad subjects”, which lists employers with three and more violations, which provide greater responsibility for employers who violate the law.
The authorities also raises an hourly rate for paid hospital holidays for sloping workers and certifies immigration protection for workers who face abuse or other violations.
Corporate politicians and their billionaire allies wage war on workers across the country. And with the Republican Trifte in DC, it is clear that the federal government will not save us. At us, at the city level, we can step up.
As we say, we are almost 100 days in this administration. But one thing is clear: billionaires who rule our country do not care about workers. In the face of Trump’s proceedings, we cannot sit in the defense of workers and trade union precedents. Selected officials must use all legal and legislative options to push and protect workers at the city level – no matter what Trump does.
