To: President Donald Trump

President Obama: Sign a Good Jobs Executive Order

With eight million workers relying on low-wage jobs supported by the federal government, the president should issue a Good Jobs Executive Order to incentivize federally-funded employers to raise labor standards more broadly.

Why is this important?

Our new report, Underwriting Good Jobs, finds that a Good Jobs Executive Order could give a raise to over 20 million Americans by lifting up the eight million Americans who work in federally-supported low-wage jobs. Women make up nearly 70% of that low-wage federally-supported workforce, and people of color make up nearly half.

Building on the success of his executive order in January raising the minimum wage for federal contractors to $10.10 an hour, which benefited hundreds of thousands of workers, the president take executive action to institute a Good Jobs Policy today.

The Good Jobs Executive Order advocated in the report would apply to the entire workforce of federally-supported employers and would significantly benefit women and minorities – who make up a large percentage of low-wage workers in the federal purchasing footprint. It builds on state and local precedents, advocating for spending agencies to incorporate higher workforce standards when evaluating and awarding federal contracts. These standards should include collective bargaining rights, living wages and good benefits, compliance with workplace protection laws and other applicable business regulations, and limits on excessive executive compensation.