IV
119THCONGRESS
1
STSESSION H. RES. 170
Expressing support for Americas Black workers and affirming the need to
pass legislation to reduce inequalities and discrimination in the workforce.
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
FEBRUARY27, 2025
Mr. E
VANSof Pennsylvania (for himself, Ms. BARRAGA´N, Ms. BONAMICI, Mr.
C
ARTERof Louisiana, Ms. CLARKEof New York, Mr. DAVISof Illinois,
Mr. I
VEY, Mr. JACKSONof Illinois, Mr. JOHNSONof Georgia, Ms. NOR-
TON, Mrs. RAMIREZ, Ms. SCHAKOWSKY, Ms. TLAIB, Mr. VEASEY, Ms.
V
ELA´ZQUEZ, Ms. LEEof Pennsylvania, Ms. BYNUM, and Mr. CARSON)
submitted the following resolution; which was referred to the Committee
on Education and Workforce
RESOLUTION
Expressing support for Americas Black workers and affirm-
ing the need to pass legislation to reduce inequalities
and discrimination in the workforce.
Whereas a competitive economy for the United States re-
quires the participation of a robust Black workforce;
Whereas unjust Black labor, first through forced slave labor,
and later through dangerous, undercompensated, and
sometimes abusive employment, has been essential to the
historic success of the American economy;
Whereas the Black unemployment rate is consistently higher
than the overall United States unemployment rate, with
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•HRES 170 IH
the Black unemployment rate at the time of this resolu-
tion’s introduction being 3 percentage points higher than
overall unemployment;
Whereas full-time Black workers’ median weekly earnings
historically lag behind the total average median weekly
earnings, and as of 2023, Black workers take home only
87 percent of average full-time workers’ median weekly
earnings;
Whereas graduation from high school and higher education
institutions are directly correlated with higher incomes
and stronger job security, and Black Americans lag in
completion of higher education, in part due to systemic
racism within America’s school systems;
Whereas many States continue to have insufficient labor
standards, low minimum wages, harmful right-to-work
laws, inadequate unemployment systems, and a lack of
State-level protections against discrimination, all of which
hurt Black workers and families;
Whereas Black workers face a higher likelihood of fatal and
nonfatal injuries in the workplace compared to injury
rates for all workers;
Whereas studies show that a significant percentage of Black
workers continue to face discrimination or harassment in
the workplace on account of their race or ethnicity, re-
sulting in decreased safety in the workplace, and dis-
advantages to economic mobility for Black workers;
Whereas Black workers are more likely to be union members
than non-Black workers, and have long been important
participants in the American labor movement and the
fight for better conditions, more just compensation, and
the right to organize;
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•HRES 170 IH
Whereas Black women are disproportionately affected by the
same issues that affect Black men in the workforce, in-
cluding making only 69 cents for every dollar paid to
White, non-Hispanic men and having higher unemploy-
ment rates than Black men;
Whereas expanding apprenticeships and preapprenticeships
must be part of any strategy to build careers for Black
youths, as apprentice and preapprentice programs have
proven to be a practical and efficient method for high
school and college students to improve personal economic
outlooks; and
Whereas educational opportunities for Black youths should
encompass a broad range of options to fit the diverse
needs of young people entering the workforce, including
making vocational and trade schools, technical colleges,
higher education institutions, community colleges, job
training programs, apprenticeships and
preapprenticeships, and work-study programs more af-
fordable and accessible: Now, therefore, be it
Resolved, That the House of Representatives— 1
(1) supports efforts to reduce inequalities fac-2
ing the Black workforce, including closing the wage 3
gap, closing the unemployment gap, and improving 4
access to job training programs, career skills build-5
ing programs, and educational opportunities; 6
(2) supports the right of every American work-7
er, regardless of race or ethnicity, to fair wages, safe 8
working conditions, collective bargaining and orga-9
nizing rights, and protection from discrimination; 10
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(3) supports the passage of legislation that 1
would improve labor conditions for Black workers, 2
including— 3
(A) the Protecting the Right to Organize 4
(PRO) Act; 5
(B) the National Apprenticeship Act; 6
(C) the Raise the Wage Act; and 7
(D) the Workforce Innovation and Oppor-8
tunity Act; and 9
(4) recognizes the— 10
(A) historical and contemporary impor-11
tance of the Black workforce to American pros-12
perity and national economic security; and 13
(B) need to improve economic opportunity 14
for Black workers as necessary for both indi-15
vidual well-being and the well-being of the Na-16
tion. 17
Æ
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