Why New Deal Era Laws Are a Drag On the American Worker

InsideSources highlights CEI's labor policy priorities for the 115th Congress. 

The Competitive Enterprise Institute released a detailed report Thursday listing policies it hopes the next Congress will tackle. The report lists financial policies, regulations, the environment, and technology as a few key areas that need to be addressed. It also argues labor and workplace laws are in critical need of reform.

“Obsolete New Deal–era labor laws and regulations are becoming a drag on the economy,” the report states. “The old adversarial master–servant model of labor relations has little to offer the 21st-century workforce, which is characterized by horizontal corporate structures, significant job mobility, and instant, constant communications.”

The economy has changed in significant ways in recent years. Emerging technologies have opened up new ways of doing business that give workers more flexibility and control. The report argues federal agencies have failed to adapt to the changes and have instead opted to expand on outdated laws and institutions like labor unions.

“Recent regulatory efforts by those agencies have sought to restrict flexible work arrangements and well-established business-to-business relationships, while giving favorable treatment to labor unions,” the report states. “Members of Congress must resist efforts to politicize regulation, adjudication, and legislation in labor relations.”

Read the full article at InsideSources.