A Message to America's Corporate Executives - Sherrod Brown WSJ op-ed

Many of your employees have been on the front lines of this pandemic. Those who care for our loved ones, stock our shelves and deliver our packages have kept our society going. You recognize that. We have all seen your TV ads, proclaiming that America’s corporations say “thank you” to “our heroes.” You’ve encouraged people to make homemade signs, touted the millions of slices of pizza you’ve donated, and promoted feel-good hashtags: #ThanksforDelivering and #OutThereForUs. But workers don’t need PR campaigns. They need fair pay, power in the workplace and protections on the job.

(snip)

If you truly believe that workers are essential to your companies, then treat them that way. If you mean what your ad campaigns say, then commit to the people who make your companies successful:

• Raise base pay for all employees to a living wage for the area where each business is located, a minimum of $15 an hour.

• Stop forcing people to choose between their jobs and their families. Grant paid sick days and paid family leave to all employees.

• Implement the strictest safety standards to protect workers from Covid-19 and to protect them from workplace injuries and future infectious-disease outbreaks.

• Give employees power over their lives and schedules. Guarantee them advance notice of and input over their work schedules, so they can plan day-care pickups and doctor’s appointments and transportation. Pay workers when they work overtime or odd hours.

• Diversify your top executives and corporate boards. A tiny group of mostly white men shouldn’t be making decisions that affect the livelihoods of millions of diverse workers.

• End the “independent contractor” business model that absolves you of responsibility for your workers. If you have hundreds of “independent contractors,” those are your employees, and you need to treat them that way.

• Allow workers to save for retirement, and help them do it. Match contributions to retirement accounts for all your employees, not just white-collar, salaried workers.

• Stop fighting your employees’ efforts to form unions. Stay neutral in all union elections and stop pressuring workers who dare to organize.

• Take responsibility for your actions. End the push for corporate immunity laws and drop the forced arbitration clauses that deny your employees the ability to hold their employers accountable when they’re mistreated.

• Pay your fair share. Stop lobbying Congress for yet more tax breaks, and stop shoveling money into political campaigns to defeat anyone who disagrees.

More..

https://www.wsj.com/articles/a-message-to-americas-corporate-executives-11592500886 (subscription)