Bill Summary
The Food Worker Pay Standards Act is a bill that aims to ensure fair pay for workers in companies that provide meat, meat food products, poultry, poultry food products, and processed food to the Federal Government. The Act states that the Federal Government may not purchase these products if the workers who produce them are not being compensated at the prevailing rate for their locality. The Secretary of Labor will determine the prevailing rates, taking into account any existing collective bargaining agreements. This Act does not supersede any agreed upon wages and benefits in a collective bargaining agreement. The definitions of terms such as "meat," "poultry," and "processed food" are also included in the Act.
Possible Impacts
1. Workers in the meat, poultry, and processed food industries may see an increase in their wages and benefits as a result of this legislation, leading to improved standard of living for themselves and their families.
2. Companies that provide these food products to the federal government may have to adjust their budgets and potentially raise prices in order to comply with the fair pay requirements, which could affect consumers who purchase these products.
3. Labor unions may have more bargaining power and influence in negotiating collective bargaining agreements, as the legislation prohibits prevailing rates from superseding agreed upon wages and benefits in such agreements.
[Congressional Bills 116th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 6120 Introduced in House (IH)]
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116th CONGRESS
2d Session
H. R. 6120
To require fair pay for workers employed by companies who provide meat,
meat food products, poultry, poultry food products, and processed food
to the Federal Government.
_______________________________________________________________________
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
March 5, 2020
Mr. Pocan (for himself, Mr. Brown of Maryland, Mr. Carson of Indiana,
Mr. Danny K. Davis of Illinois, Ms. DeLauro, Ms. Fudge, Mr. Garcia of
Illinois, Ms. Haaland, Mrs. Hayes, Ms. Norton, Ms. Jackson Lee, Ms.
Jayapal, Ms. Kaptur, Ms. Kelly of Illinois, Mr. Khanna, Mr. Kildee, Ms.
Lee of California, Mr. Levin of Michigan, Mr. Lowenthal, Mrs.
Napolitano, Ms. Omar, Mr. Raskin, Ms. Sanchez, Ms. Schakowsky, Mr.
Tonko, Mrs. Torres of California, Mrs. Trahan, Mr. Trone, and Ms.
Waters) introduced the following bill; which was referred to the
Committee on Oversight and Reform
_______________________________________________________________________
A BILL
To require fair pay for workers employed by companies who provide meat,
meat food products, poultry, poultry food products, and processed food
to the Federal Government.
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the
United States of America in Congress assembled,
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.
This Act may be cited as the ``Food Worker Pay Standards Act''.
SEC. 2. FOOD WORKER PAY INCREASE.
(a) Prevailing Rate.--The Federal Government may not purchase any
meat, meat food product, poultry, poultry food product, or processed
food produced by workers in the United States who are compensated at a
rate lower than the prevailing rate for wages and fringe benefits for
such workers in their locality.
(b) Prevailing Rate Determination.--The Secretary of Labor shall
determine the prevailing rates required in paragraph (a) and in
determining such rates shall take into account any applicable existing
collective bargaining agreements in the locality.
(c) Collective Bargaining Agreement Supremacy.--In no case shall a
prevailing rate established pursuant to this section supersede a
worker's wages and benefits agreed to in a collective bargaining
agreement.
SEC. 3. DEFINITIONS.
(a) In the above section--
(1) ``Meat'' and ``meat food product'' have the meanings
given in the Meat Inspection Act (21 U.S.C. 601 et seq.).
(2) ``Poultry'' and ``poultry food product'' have the
meanings given in the Poultry Products Inspection Act (21
U.S.C. 451 et seq.).
(3) ``Processed food'' has the meaning given in the Federal
Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act (21 U.S.C. 321 et seq.).
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