Biden-Harris Executive Order Focuses on Labor Standards

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The Biden-Harris Administration issued an Executive Order (EO) on Investing in America and American Workers, known as the “Good Jobs EO.” The goal is that federal investments in infrastructure, clean energy, and manufacturing create high-quality, union-supportive jobs that provide pathways to the middle class. The EO directs federal agencies to prioritize and implement labor standards that promote fair wages, worker protections, and the ability to organize unions across federally funded projects.

Labor standards promoted in the Good Jobs EO include:

• Encouraging Project Labor Agreements, Community Benefits Agreements, and other instruments that promote union recognition and neutral approaches to union organizing.
• Implementing wage standards, such as prevailing wages and pay transparency, to ensure compensation.
• Supporting worker benefits, including health insurance, paid leave, retirement plans, and child and dependent care.
• Promoting workforce development through registered apprenticeships, partnerships with community colleges, and other training programs.
• Prioritizing equitable hiring, management practices, and workplace safety.

Furthermore, the EO encourages agencies to integrate labor standards into grant programs and provides mechanisms for data collection and pre-award negotiations to strengthen accountability.

The EO also establishes an “Investing in Good Jobs Task Force” to oversee policy coordination across federal agencies. This task force will enhance job quality and ensure effective project implementation. The Secretary of Labor and the Director of the National Economic Council will co-chair this task force, with Senior Advisors to the President and members of the President’s Cabinet also involved.

This EO builds on efforts to boost the workforce through public and private investments in manufacturing and clean energy, fostering job creation and economic growth across the U.S.