Trump Administration Exempts Worker Pay Requirements in CARES Act

This week, CWA President Chris Shelton joined with six other labor union leaders to raise the alarm about procedures that the Trump Administration has put in place that waives the requirement for large businesses to use federal aid from the CARES Act to keep 90% of their employees on payroll. In addition, the program for mid-sized businesses fails to include anti-outsourcing provisions or any provisions protecting workers' right to organize.

"Given the extraordinary nature of the support that the federal government is providing for the private sector through the CARES Act, the intent of the CARES Act to protect good jobs as a condition of receiving aid were a completely reasonable effort to ensure that taxpayers' money is used well," wrote the union leaders in letters to Senators Chuck Schumer and Sherrod Brown and Speaker Nancy Pelosi. "We have been highly disappointed that the Trump Administration has, once again, shown complete disregard for the well-being of working families and failed to implement any requirements that would benefit workers."

To fight back against the Trump Administration's attack on working families, the unions are asking Sens. Schumer and Brown and Speaker Pelosi to ensure that companies and corporations receiving federal aid through the CARES Act adhere to worker protections in the legislation and that future legislation related to COVID-19 does not include similar loopholes.

President Trump signed the CARES Act into law at the end of March. The legislation allocates more than $2 trillion in federal spending to support working families, businesses, and hospitals dealing with the COVID-19 pandemic.