Murray: Final Administration Rule Will Help Millions of Workers Stay Safe, Get Fair Treatment on the Job

“Fair pay” rule is critical step to safeguard workers and level the playing field for businesses

Murray, Democrats pushed to ensure executive order secured rights, protections of workers employed by federal contractors

(Washington, D.C.) –Today, Senator Patty Murray (D-WA), top Democrat on the Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions (HELP) Committee, issued the following statement on the Department of Labor (DOL) and the Federal Acquisition Regulatory (FAR) Council’s finalization of the rules implementing the Fair Pay and Safe Workplaces Executive Order, effective October 25, 2016.

“When workers arrive on the job, they deserve to know that they will be treated fairly, that they will be provided with safe and healthy workplaces, that their right to collective bargaining will be respected, and that they will be paid all of the wages they earn—and today’s announcement is an important step toward that goal. Federal contractors employ millions of workers across the country but far too often, fail to protect the welfare and working conditions of their workers. I am very glad that this rule will help level the playing field for businesses that are doing the right thing and will strengthen basic worker rights in Washington state and communities nationwide.” 

In 2015, Murray led 19 Senate Democrats in urging DOL and the FAR Council to implement the order to protect worker rights before granting and renewing federal contracts. In 2013, the Senate HELP Committee conducted an investigation which found that nearly 30 percent of the companies that received the most severe penalties for worker safety and wage law violations were federal contractors.

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