From the Sean Perryman for LG campaign:
FAIRFAX, VA – Candidate for Lt. Governor Sean Perryman marked May Day 2021 on Saturday by releasing his campaign’s platform to empower Virginia’s multi-racial working class. May Day is a day for celebration and recognition of the international labor rights movement.
“Income inequality has been on an undeniable rise for decades,” said Perryman. “Far too many Virginians have to work two or three jobs just to make ends meet. Countless families, especially Black and Brown families, face food insecurity, eviction, and medical and student debt.”
“Data consistently shows that wages have failed to keep up with productivity over the years. That means those at the top of corporations and big businesses have hoarded more and more of the wealth that is created by the hard work of their employees. What’s more, the wealthiest among us have used their outsized political power to dominate our democratic system and block progress on economic justice. We need an energized labor movement to turn these trends around.”
“This week we heard President Joe Biden proclaim in his joint address to Congress that unions built America’s middle class,” Perryman continued. “This is certainly true. When I was growing up, my working family was able to stay afloat because of my parent’s union. But unions have done even more than that. The labor movement is responsible for so much of what we take for granted, including the 40 hour work week, child labor protections, and the minimum wage. Unions are how workers use their democratic voice to win higher wages, better benefits, and better working conditions. By empowering unions, we empower workers to win a better life for themselves.”
“After Virginia was ranked the worst state for workers in the entire country, Democrats in the General Assembly set to work reversing that shameful ranking. Despite the progress that has been made, there’s still a long list of policies that we need to prioritize in order to lift up the multi-racial working class in Virginia. We can’t let special interests continue to hold us back from building a stronger and more resilient economy. I’m running for Lt. Governor to fight for the following agenda in Richmond.”
- Strengthening the ability of workers to organize by repealing the so-called “Right to Work” law that hurts workers and keeps wages low.
- Guaranteeing the right to collectively bargain for all public sector employees at both the state and local levels.
- Ensuring Virginia’s minimum wage is raised to $15 an hour by the end of 2023, and indexing it to the cost of living in perpetuity.
- Guaranteeing paid sick, family, and parental leave for all Virginians, no matter where they work.
- Passing a Virginian Green New Deal that provides good-paying, green jobs in the growing energy, infrastructure, technology, and transportation sectors.
- Realigning our tax code to promote families and the services they rely on and ensuring that wealthy Virginians and big businesses pay their fair share.
- Making Virginia’s tuition-free community college universal and available for all while working to lower tuition at Virginia’s public colleges and universities and pushing for federal student debt cancellation.
- Investing in our future by passing an equitable budget for Virginia’s public schools that leaves no community behind and raises teacher pay, as well as providing affordable childcare and universal PreK to all of Virginia’s parents.
- Expanding Medicaid to cover more working-class Virginians, offering a Medicare-rate public option through a controlled state insurance exchange for those without employer-sponsored insurance, and pushing for a federal Medicare-for-all system.
- Investing in green, accessible public transit that allows workers to commute to higher-quality jobs and provides employers with a more diverse labor force.
- Closing the gender pay gap for women and women of color and supporting pay transparency.
“As Lt. Governor, I can’t introduce legislation,” said Perryman. “What I can do is use the platform I am given to be advocate-in-chief for the labor movement; not just to rally the public but to also push elected and party leadership. I can invite organizers and activists into the process of lawmaking and work together to set the agenda in Richmond.”
With almost a month left until primary election day, the Perryman campaign is committing to the strongest worker’s rights platform in the race. Perryman has been endorsed by the American Federation of Government Employees Local 252 as well as dozens of pro-labor elected officials and economic justice activists.
Sean Perryman is President Emeritus of the Fairfax County Chapter of the NAACP, a technology public policy advocate, attorney, and former congressional investigator. If elected he would become one of the youngest Lt. Governors in Virginia history.
To learn more visit: perrymanforvirginia.com
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