December 2023 2023: A YEAR OF CHALLENGE AND PROGRESS FOR WORKING PEOPLE After a tough few years, Michigan’s working families had some reason to be optimistic in 2023. Unemployment is at a record low (just 3.9%), and many Michiganders are paying less for health care and prescription drugs thanks to President Biden’s Inflation Reduction Act (IRA). And with wages beginning to increase and inflation continuing to decline, workers are seeing their paychecks go further. But too many working families are still struggling to get by. Even as corporations rake in record profits and CEOs make millions by prioritizing shareholders, working people are standing up and fighting back. The major victories achieved by unionized workers this year to win better pay, fairer benefits, and safety and security on the job will have ripple effects across the economy. In this issue of In Union, we’re looking back at some of the most important events of the past year and the progress workers are making in the fight for a level playing field.
President Biden is delivering on his promise to be the most pro-worker, pro-union president in history. In his first three years, he has: Proposed new rules that will provide millions of workers with overtime protections Raised the prevailing wage for construction workers on federally-funded projects Expanded access to child care and longterm care Established a pro-worker majority on the National Labor Relations Board Signed an executive order enabling federal workers to collectively bargain Sources: Reuters, 8/25/2023; Federal Times, 1/22/2021; PBS NewsHour, 8/30/2023; Spectrum News, 8/8/2023; CNN, 4/18/2023