Food Worker Pay Standards Act

Bill: 118-hr-4559
Sponsor: full_name: Rep. Pocan, Mark [D-WI-2]
Introduced: 2023-07-11
Policy area: Government Operations and Politics
Subjects: Employee benefits and pensions

Food industry and services

Meat

Public contracts and procurement

Wages and earnings
Latest action: action_date: 2023-08-24
text: Referred to the Subcommittee on Livestock, Dairy, and Poultry.

Summaries:
action_date: 2023-07-11
action_desc: Introduced in House
text: <p><b>Food Worker Pay Standards Act</b></p> <p> This bill prohibits the Department of Agriculture from purchasing any meat, meat food product, poultry, poultry food product, or processed food produced by workers in the United States who are compensated at a rate lower than the prevailing rate for wages and fringe benefits for such workers in their locality.</p> <p>The Department of Labor must determine the prevailing rates and in determining such rates shall take into account any applicable existing collective bargaining agreements in the locality. A prevailing rate established pursuant to this bill must not supersede a worker's wages and benefits agreed to in a collective bargaining agreement. </p>

tv_txt: I 118th CONGRESS 1st Session H. R. 4559 IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES July 11, 2023 Mr. Pocan (for himself and Mr. Casar ) introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on Agriculture A BILL To require fair pay for workers employed by companies who provide meat, meat food products, poultry, poultry food products, and processed food to the Federal Government.

1. Short title This Act may be cited as the Food Worker Pay Standards Act . 2. Food worker pay increase (a) Prevailing rate The Secretary of Agriculture may not purchase any meat, meat food product, poultry, poultry food product, or processed food produced by workers in the United States who are compensated at a rate lower than the prevailing rate for wages and fringe benefits for such workers in their locality. (b) Prevailing rate determination The Secretary of Labor shall determine the prevailing rates required in subsection (a) and in determining such rates shall take into account any applicable existing collective bargaining agreements in the locality. (c) Collective bargaining agreement supremacy In no case shall a prevailing rate established pursuant to this section supersede a worker’s wages and benefits agreed to in a collective bargaining agreement. 3. Definitions In this Act: (1) The terms meat and meat food product have the meanings given in the Meat Inspection Act ( 21 U.S.C. 601 et seq. ). (2) The terms poultry and poultry food product have the meanings given in the Poultry Products Inspection Act ( 21 U.S.C. 451 et seq. ). (3) The term processed food has the meaning given in the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act ( 21 U.S.C. 321 et seq. ).