U.S. Secretary of Labor Thomas E. Perez, commenting on recent contract ratifications by members of United Auto Workers, called collective bargaining “one of our most powerful forces for upward mobility and economic security.”
The contract ratification votes with Ford and GM “demonstrate once again that collective bargaining is essential to a balanced economy,” Perez wrote in a column in the Detroit Free Press. “It is a textbook case of shared sacrifice leading to shared prosperity. And it is a triumph of collective bargaining, one of our most powerful forces for upward mobility and economic security.”
Because unions are able to bargain collectively, “Hard work is rewarded,” he wrote. “Everyone has a chance to succeed. Workers, companies, shareholders and communities all benefit.”
Secretary Perez’s strong public support for collective bargaining is a welcome at a time when powerful forces are at work right now trying to undermine unions in order to diminish the power of all workers, public and private. It’s good to have a champion at the federal level who understands the importance of unions.