CWA supports provisions in President Biden’s Executive Order on Competitiveness that empower workers, promote Internet access

In his Executive Order on Competitiveness, President Joe Biden once again puts workers front and center. A lack of competitiveness in labor markets can drive down wages. The President called for Congress to pass the Protecting the Right to Organize (PRO) Act because “[u]nions are critical to empowering workers to bargain with their employers for better jobs and to creating an economy that works for everyone.”

Key provisions in the Executive Order include:

• The President’s call for the Federal Trade Commission to limit or ban non-compete agreements, which limit future job opportunities for workers. These agreements have been particularly rampant among tech companies, preventing workers from seeking higher pay or better working conditions if they wish to continue in their chosen field.

• The President’s call for the FCC to prevent exclusivity deals or collusive arrangements that leave tenants with only one option for internet service. These arrangements can leave residents in low-income and marginalized neighborhoods locked into older technology that does not deliver the high-speed connections they need to fully engage with online education, telemedicine, and other services.

• The President’s call for the Department of Justice and agencies that oversee banking to update regulations so that there is more robust scrutiny of banking mergers. The impact on the communities they serve must be taken into account in banking merger review, including the impact on jobs and wages in those communities.

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CWA supports provisions in President Biden’s Executive Order on Competitiveness that empower workers and promote Internet access (CWA, July 9, 2021)