Monday morning musings for workplace watchers Battle Over Reconciliation | EBSA’s Quiet Progress Programming Note: “Punching In” won’t publish on Labor Day. We’ll be back on the clock Monday, Sept. 13. Ben Penn: Republicans may not have the votes to block union-bolstering provisions that Democrats aim to include in the budget reconciliation package, but don’t expect the GOP’s business allies to stand by and let Democrats weaken employers’ longstanding leverage in labor relations. Industry lobbyists—and the general public, for that matter—don’t know exactly what will be included in Democrats’ $3.5 trillion domestic policy package, which can be approved without Republican support. House and Senate committees are moving quickly to draft…
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The bipartisan infrastructure bill is a great start. Small-business owners of color need more
The possibility of Congress actually delivering on a bipartisan infrastructure package is not only welcome news to those who still believe thoughtful, collaborative leadership is possible in Washington but also represents an essential investment in communities that desperately need it. Main Street, in particular, is set to benefit from these investments. However, as we continue to build back from a generational public health and economic crisis and grapple with the consequences of a much-needed reckoning on racial equity, minority-owned small businesses need this infrastructure investment to be one piece of a larger effort. We need to take lessons from the programs that kept Main Street afloat during the height of the pandemic,…
