CEI to Score Amendment to Farm Bill

What: Rubio Amendment (#2166 ) to the Agriculture Reform, Food, and Jobs Act (S.3240), known as the Rewarding Achievement and Incentivizing Successful Employees (RAISE) Act

CEI Position: Yes

Washington, D.C., June 19, 2012 – This week, the Senate is expected to vote on Amendment No. 2166 to the Agriculture Reform, Food, and Jobs Act (S.3240), better known as the Rewarding Achievement and Incentivizing Successful Employees Act (RAISE) Act.  The Amendment is sponsored by Sen. Marco Rubio (R-Fla.).

CEI labor policy analysts will score the Senate vote on the Rubio Amendment and incorporate the scores into CEI’s Congressional Labor Policy Scorecard, which is maintained and updated on WorkplaceChoice.org. The scorecard reflects Members’ voting records on all significant matters of worker rights.

Currently, union workers’ wages are dictated by collective bargaining agreements made between a union and an employer. Collective bargaining agreements not only create a floor for worker’s wages, they also establish a ceiling. The vast majority of these agreements grant pay increases on seniority, not merit. In other words, unionized employees can only see an increase in their salary through longevity—no matter how productive they are and how hard they work. The RAISE act would remove the barrier of employers to give their workers pay increases.

Below are statement by CEI policy analysts on tomorrow’s votes.

CEI Labor Policy Counsel F.Vincent Vernuccio: “It is about time union workers are rewarded for their merit and how hard they work. The RAISE Act removes the ceiling on union wages. The Rubio Amendment simply allows workers to earn more. The hard working men and women represented by unions deserve the right to be rewarded for their steam.”

CEI Labor Policy Analyst Ivan Osorio: “The RAISE Act is good for employees and good for businesses. It allows workers to be justly rewarded for their efforts, while incentivizing greater productivity. It’s a win-win. Unions’ opposition can be attributed to the fact that it undermines their outdated, adversarial business model.”