In the past, protecting workers and advancing workers’ rights was not generally seen as a role of cities, counties, or local governments. But in recent years, local governments have begun to play a critical and growing role in relation to protecting workers through:
- Creating dedicated local labor agencies or hiring dedicated labor personnel;
- Establishing worker boards or councils;
- Improving working conditions for their own local government employees;
- Passing and enforcing laws expanding workers’ rights;
- Enforcing local labor protections;
- Incorporating labor compliance or high-road requirements in relation to contracting,
licensing, and permitting; - And more.
Over the course of a year, we tracked and compiled pro-worker policy developments at the local level across the country. This special Labor Day report provides a sense of the breadth and substance of pro-worker action by local government entities during the past year.
This report represents a collaboration between the Local Progress Impact Lab, the Economic Policy Institute, and CLJE’s State and Local Enforcement Project.
