https://www.uschamber.com/employment-policy

Employment Policy

The Employment Policy division regularly interacts with Congressional staff, numerous Federal agencies and many national coalitions (some of which are chaired by the Chamber) to help define and shape national labor, immigration and employee benefit policy.

Employment Policy Priorities

Commonsense Immigration Reform

Commonsense immigration reform will boost economic growth, create jobs, and spur innovation and entrepreneurship. It will also reaffirm America's legacy of being an open and welcoming country where anyone who works hard and follows the rules can achieve his or her dreams.

Throughout our history, America has attracted and welcomed the most talented and the hardest working people to our shores. But today our immigration system is broken and failing to meet the needs of our society, our economy, our businesses, and our workers.

To help advance comprehensive reform that includes border security, the Chamber's Employment Policy division provides leadership to a broad coalition including businesses, labor, law enforcement, the faith-based community, and various immigrant-advocacy organizations.

Though there may be several different approaches to fixing our system, meaningful and lasting reform can only be achieved through bipartisan legislation, which is the ultimate goal of the Chamber’s immigration program.

Learn more about what the Chamber is doing on immigration.

Department of Labor

The U.S. Chamber believes the Department of Labor (DOL) must partner with both employers and employees to effectively advance the goals of the wide array of laws it administers and enforces.

The DOL oversees such diverse areas as minimum wage, overtime, worker safety in general industry as well as mining, federal contractor compliance with affirmative action requirements, employee leave requirements under the Family and Medical Leave Act, labor union financial accountability, and contractor wage payments on federally funded or supported construction and service jobs. Employees depend on the Department to safeguard their rights, while employers look to the DOL for information and guidance on meeting their obligations.

The Employment Policy Division works with many of DOL’s component agencies including the Wage and Hour Division, the Occupational Safety and Health Administration, the Office of Federal Contractor Compliance Programs, the Office of Labor-Management Standards, and the Office of the Solicitor.

Learn more about what we're doing on DOL issues.

Restoring Common Sense at the NLRB

The National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) was created in 1935 to be a neutral arbiter in the field of labor law.

During the Obama administration, however, the agency engaged in an aggressive one-sided agenda aimed at growing labor unions at any cost. Rather than act as an impartial referee, it issued many decisions that overturned decades of well settled precedents intended to give unions an advantage in organizing campaigns.

Restoring the appropriate balance to labor law will provide much-needed stability, and certainty for American businesses and workers.

Fortunately, the NLRB has new members, including Chairman John Ring and a new General Counsel, who have already begun the work of revisiting Obama-era precedents.

Learn more about what we're doing on issues related to NLRB.

Protecting Retirement Security

The Employment Policy Division is committed to protecting the retirement security of America’s workforce, and promoting policies that will continue the success of the private retirement system.

We seek to maintain a sound legal framework that encourages employers to offer retirement plans, address the demographic challenges facing the system, and encourage innovation and flexibility to help the private retirement system reach additional types of workers.

Learn more about what we're doing on retirement issues.

State Labor Issues

Advocates of increased regulation are not satisfied with just pursuing action at the federal level. They have also taken their agenda to state and even local government.

In the process, they are creating a patchwork of different standards that multi-state employers can find difficult to meet. Significant state and local regulations include:

- Minimum Wage
- Misclassification
- Wage Theft
- Paid Leave
- Regulating Pre-Employment Inquiries
- Equal Pay
- Labor Peace
- Predictive Scheduling
- Opportunity to Work
- Overtime

Learn more about what we're doing on the state level.

Combating Human Trafficking

Click here to learn more about what we’re doing to combat human trafficking.

Recent Activity

TestimonyJun 12, 2019 - 10:00am

Testimony of Tammy D. McCutcheon, Esq. to the U.S. House of Representatives Committee on Education and Labor: Restoring the Value of Work: Evaluating DOL’s Efforts to Undermine Strong Overtime Protections

“Restoring the Value of Work: Evaluating DOL’s Efforts to Undermine Strong Overtime Protections”

Letters to CongressJun 11, 2019 - 9:30pm

Chamber Signs Coalition Letter Urging Congress to Address Multiemployer Pension Plan Crisis

On June 11, 2019, the U.S. Chamber of Commerce sign a coalition letter along with several additional stakeholders, encouraging Congress to address the growing multiemployer pension plan crisis and offer legislative solutions for all plans.

ArticleJun 11, 2019 - 4:45pm

Another Bite at the Beetle, Redux

Volkswagen’s Chattanooga employees face an important choice this week as they vote June 12-14 whether to accede to the United Auto Workers.

Sean P. Redmond

ArticleMay 31, 2019 - 11:00am

NLRB General Counsel Clarifies Independent Contracting

The National Labor Relations Board’s Office of General Counsel recently released a guidance memorandum regarding independent contractors.

Sean P. Redmond

Letters to CongressMay 17, 2019 - 11:00am

Coalition Letter to the House and Senate Judiciary Committees urging them to Reform and Reauthorize the EB-5 Regional Center Program

Our organizations support a uniform set of principles to strengthen and reform the EB-5 Regional Center program before it expires on September 30, 2019. The principles around which we are aligned for a six-year reauthorization are attached to this letter.

Letters to CongressMay 16, 2019 - 6:00pm

The U.S. Chamber of Commerce strongly opposes H.R. 2474, the “Protecting the Right to Organize Act.”

Op EdMay 16, 2019 - 5:15pm

The Washington Examiner Op-ed: What Big Labor Wants

House Democrats have unleashed a proposal that would minimize employees’ free choice and sap economic vitality.

Sean P. Redmond

ArticleMay 07, 2019 - 5:30pm

PRO Act Introduced in House

On May 2, Democrats on the House Education and Labor Committee rolled out a bill that would radically rewrite American labor law.

Sean P. Redmond

ReportApr 30, 2019 - 12:15am

The Status of Worker Centers as Labor Organizations Under the National Labor Relations Act

This paper addresses the question of whether a worker center is a “labor organization” under the National Labor Relations Act (NLRA or Act). Put another way, are both traditional labor unions and worker centers included in the term “labor organization” as it is used in the NLRA?

EventApr 05, 2019 - 9:00am to 12:00pm

The Immigration Landscape: Addressing Today's Challenges, Exploring New Solutions

Join us on Friday, April 5th for a discussion on the current immigration policy landscape. The event will feature three panels discussing several key issues, including legislative relief for Dreamers and long-term TPS recipients, the impact of regulatory and administration actions on the American business community, and examining innovative ideas to improve our country's immigration system.