Congressman Tierney knows that many working and middle class families struggle to make ends meet. America’s families have seen their real income drop by almost $1,300 since 2000, while the costs of health insurance, gasoline, heating one's home and attending college have increased by almost $5,000 annually.

Congressman Tierney believes that giving workers a free choice to join together to bargain for better wages, benefits and working conditions is a critical step to easing the squeeze and strengthening the middle class. As such, he was pleased to sponsor and support the passage of the Employee Free Choice Act (H.R. 800). This important bill, which is now being reviewed by the U.S. Senate, helps workers get their fair share of our nation’s economic growth by supporting the basic right of workers to choose their own representative. It strengthens the penalties for discrimination against workers who favor a union, and it will allow employees to choose a union when a majority of them sign an authorization designating a union as their bargaining representative.

In his capacity on the Education and Labor Committee, Congressman Tierney continues to play an important role in strengthening the primary federal law, the Workforce Investment Act (WIA), which authorizes the nation’s job training, employment, adult education, literacy and vocational rehabilitation programs.

Congressman Tierney continues taking active steps to help reinvigorate America’s workforce. With Representative Hilda Solis (D-CA), Congressman Tierney co-authored the innovative Green Jobs Act of 2007. The legislation aims to help meet the renewable and alternative energy industries’ demands for a skilled work force, while boosting America’s global competitiveness in those industries. The bill has been included as part of energy legislation entitled The New Direction for Energy Independence, National Security and Consumer Patent Act, which was signed into law in December 2007.