IV 

118TH CONGRESS 

1ST SESSION H. RES. 182 

Expressing support for America’s Black workers and affirming the need 

to pass legislation to reduce inequalities and discrimination in the workforce. 

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 

FEBRUARY 28, 2023 

Mr. EVANS (for himself, Ms. BARRAGA ́N, Ms. BONAMICI, Mr. BOWMAN, Mr. 

BOYLE of Pennsylvania, Ms. BROWN, Mr. CARSON, Mr. CARTER of Louisiana, Ms. CLARKE of New York, Mr. DAVIS of Illinois, Mr. DELUZIO, 

Mr. DOGGETT, Mr. GARCI ́A of Illinois, Mr. IVEY, Mr. JACKSON of Illinois, 

Mr. JOHNSON of Georgia, Mr. MOSKOWITZ, Ms. NORTON, Mr. PAYNE, 

Ms. SCHAKOWSKY, Ms. SEWELL, Mr. THOMPSON of Mississippi, Ms. 

TLAIB, Mr. VEASEY, Ms. VELA ́ZQUEZ, and Mrs. WATSON COLEMAN) submitted the following resolution; which was referred to the Committee on 

Education and the Workforce 

RESOLUTION 

Expressing support for America’s Black workers and affirming the need to pass legislation to reduce inequalities 

and discrimination in the workforce. 

Whereas a competitive economy for the United States requires 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; 


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•HRES 182 IH 

Whereas the Black unemployment rate is consistently higher 

than the overall United States unemployment rate, with 

the Black unemployment rate at the time of this resolution’s introduction being 2 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 2022, Black workers take home only 

82.6 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 have made up a proportionately large 

share of frontline workers and essential workers throughout the COVID–19 pandemic; 

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, resulting in decreased safety in the workplace, and disadvantages to economic mobility for Black workers; 


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•HRES 182 IH 

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; 

Whereas Black women are disproportionately affected by the 

same issues that affect Black men in the workforce, including making only 63 cents for every dollar paid to 

White, non-Hispanic men and having higher unemployment 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 affordable and accessible: Now, therefore, be it 

1 Resolved, That the House of Representatives— 

2 (1) supports efforts to reduce inequalities fac3 ing the Black workforce, including closing the wage 

4 gap, closing the unemployment gap, and improving 

5 access to job training programs, career skills build6 ing programs, and educational opportunities; 


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•HRES 182 IH 

1 (2) supports the right of every American work2 er, regardless of race or ethnicity, to fair wages, safe 

3 working conditions, collective bargaining and orga4 nizing rights, and protection from discrimination; 

5 (3) supports the passage of legislation that 

6 would improve labor conditions for Black workers, 

7 including— 

8 (A) the Protecting the Right to Organize 

9 (PRO) Act; 

10 (B) the National Apprenticeship Act; 

11 (C) the Raise the Wage Act; and 

12 (D) the Workforce Innovation and Oppor13 tunity Act; and 

14 (4) recognizes the— 

15 (A) historical and contemporary impor16 tance of the Black workforce to American pros17 perity and national economic security; and 

18 (B) need to improve economic opportunity 

19 for Black workers as necessary for both indi20 vidual well-being and the well-being of the Na21 tion. 

Æ 


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