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Recognizing the week of June 5 through 9, 2023, as "Union Organizing Week" in Philadelphia, in honor of those who have fought and continue to fight on behalf of workers' rights to organize and bargain collectively.
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WHEREAS, The right to organize and bargain collectively is a fundamental right of all workers and workers alone must be responsible for determining whether to form a union to advocate and bargain on their behalf; and
WHEREAS, Organized workers, bargaining collectively, have been instrumental in uplifting working families in Philadelphia. Unionized workers have led the fight for improved wages and working conditions, which have benefitted unionized and non-unionized workers alike. Employers have also greatly benefitted from organized workforces through the improved productivity and training that unions provide; and
WHEREAS, Unions and union members have been instrumental in combatting racial and gender discrimination in the workplace. And workplace protections established through collective bargaining have helped to ensure that all workers' due process rights are protected in the workplace; and
WHEREAS, The labor movement in Philadelphia has a rich history that extends to our nation's earliest days. The Federal Society of Journeymen Cordwainers, recognized as the first trade union, was organized in Philadelphia in 1794. In 1835, workers from across several industries in Philadelphia united in the nation's first general strike, successfully negotiating increased wages and a 10-hour workday. More recently, Philadelphia unions have been at the forefront of efforts to fight wage theft, expand mandatory sick leave, raise the minimum wage, provide workers with a fair workweek, and create a domestic workers bill of rights, among other efforts to expand worker protections; and
WHEREAS, The right of workers to organize and bargain collectively has been crucial for improving the lives of working people in Philadelphia and across the nation. Phila...
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