Kamala Harris and Donald Trump, both presidential candidates, have pledged to improve the lives of workers if elected. However, their positions diverge significantly on various issues, such as minimum wage, overtime pay, and labor unions’ power.
1. Minimum Wage:
The federal minimum wage has remained at $7.25 per hour since 2009. Kamala Harris has criticized this amount as being "poverty wages," equating to $15,000 annually for full-time workers. She has expressed her intention to increase the minimum wage to at least $15 per hour, acknowledging the need for Congressional support for this change. Previously, during a presidential debate, Donald Trump indicated potential support for a $15 hourly federal minimum wage if it doesn’t adversely affect small businesses. More recently, he avoided directly addressing the topic at a McDonald’s event, opting instead to commend the workers and franchises.
2. Overtime Pay:
Both candidates recognize the importance of overtime, though their views on eligibility differ. The Biden-Harris administration recently established a rule expanding overtime eligibility to an additional 4 million workers. This rule is currently facing several legal challenges. In contrast, under Trump’s presidency, a similar rule from the Obama administration was not defended, leading to a new rule with reduced eligibility for overtime. Trump’s Project 2025 plan proposes revising federal overtime rules to grant employers more flexibility. At campaign events, Trump shared his preference as an employer for hiring more workers to avoid overtime costs. Additionally, he proposed making overtime wages tax-free, a policy analysts believe could significantly impact government tax revenues.
3. Manufacturing Job Creation:
While Trump has aimed to gain support from white, working-class voters with promises to restore and protect manufacturing jobs, economists warn his proposed tariffs might increase overall prices, including those affecting U.S. manufacturers. Harris, conversely, points to legislation such as the CHIPS and Science Act and the Inflation Reduction Act, claiming they have generated jobs in manufacturing and construction. Harris has advocated for expanding tax credits for companies creating union jobs in sectors like steel and iron while prioritizing the retooling of existing plants in industrial areas.
4. Labor Unions:
Harris supports strengthening unions and has committed to advancing the PRO Act, legislation designed to facilitate worker organization, which has stagnated in Congress. Her administration emphasizes enhancing federal union representation, despite facing lawsuits challenging the National Labor Relations Board’s authority. Trump, meanwhile, diminished federal employee unions and endorsed Right to Work laws, appointing corporate-friendly figures to the Labor Department and the NLRB during his presidency. Project 2025 outlines potential further weakening of unions under a Trump administration. Despite this, Trump maintains substantial backing from certain union worker demographics, with an informal Teamsters union poll favoring Trump over Harris by a 2-to-1 margin.
5. Noncompete Agreements:
Noncompete agreements have impacted approximately 30 million American workers, restricting their ability to join competitive businesses or start their own. The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) recently voted to ban these agreements, citing their restraint on wages and innovation, but a federal judge blocked this ban nationwide. Although Harris hasn’t actively addressed noncompetes on the campaign trail, she has previously supported the FTC’s ban, labeling such agreements as anti-worker. Trump has not addressed this issue in his campaign thus far. Notably, Eugene Scalia, who was Trump’s labor secretary, is among the legal team representing a company challenging the FTC’s ban on noncompetes. During his 2016 campaign, Trump’s team included noncompete clauses in its employment agreements, preventing staff and volunteers from working with other presidential campaigns.
