Side-by-side analysis of what each approach would mean for your wages, your benefits, and your rights on the job.
We're a policy platform with 50 researched positions on every major issue. This page compares labor and wage approaches across parties — but there's much more to explore.
American workers are more productive than ever — and getting less of the pie than at any point in modern history. Since 1979, worker productivity has increased 60% while hourly compensation has grown just 16%. The federal minimum wage has been stuck at $7.25 since 2009 — the longest period without an increase since the minimum wage was created. Adjusted for inflation, it buys less today than it did in 1968. Meanwhile, CEO compensation has grown 1,460% since 1978. The American worker is not being rewarded for their work.
The three major approaches to labor policy differ at a fundamental level. Democrats support raising the minimum wage to $15/hour, strengthening union organizing rights through the PRO Act, and mandating paid family leave. Republicans favor deregulation, oppose minimum wage increases, support right-to-work laws, and argue that a free labor market produces the best outcomes. The Common Good Party proposes the most comprehensive pro-worker agenda: a $20/hour minimum wage, sectoral bargaining, universal paid family leave, portable benefits for gig workers, worker board seats at large companies, and a ban on non-compete agreements for most workers.
This page breaks down each approach honestly — what it gets right, what it misses, and what it would actually mean for your paycheck, your benefits, and your bargaining power. No spin, no talking points, just the policy.
How the three approaches stack up on the issues that matter most to workers and their families.
| Issue | Democrats | Republicans | Common Good |
|---|---|---|---|
| Minimum wage | Raise to $15/hour | Oppose federal increase | $20/hour, indexed to inflation |
| Union rights | PRO Act, card check | Right-to-work, limit unions | Full organizing rights + sectoral bargaining |
| Paid family leave | 12 weeks paid (proposed) | Voluntary, employer-based | 16 weeks universal paid leave |
| Gig worker protections | Reclassify some as employees | Maintain independent status | Portable benefits, minimum earnings |
| Overtime rules | Expand eligibility threshold | Maintain current thresholds | Expand to $75K, index to wages |
| Non-compete agreements | Limit for low-wage workers | Preserve employer freedom | Ban below median income |
| Worker board seats | Some support (Warren plan) | Oppose | 40% worker seats at large firms |
| Sectoral bargaining | Limited support | Oppose | Industry-wide standards for low-wage sectors |
| Federal jobs guarantee | Some support (infrastructure) | Oppose | Public service employment option |
| Right-to-work | Oppose, repeal state laws | Support, expand nationwide | Repeal; replace with fair-share model |
Sources: Bureau of Labor Statistics, Economic Policy Institute, Congressional Budget Office, party platform documents. See the compact comparison view for a quick side-by-side summary.
The Democratic approach to labor centers on strengthening existing worker protections and expanding union power. Key proposals include raising the federal minimum wage to $15/hour, passing the PRO Act to make union organizing easier (including card-check authorization and penalties for employer retaliation), mandating 12 weeks of paid family and medical leave, reclassifying many gig workers as employees entitled to benefits, and expanding overtime eligibility. Democrats have also proposed limiting non-compete agreements for low-wage workers and increasing enforcement of existing labor laws.
Democrats correctly identify the fundamental problem: the balance of power between workers and employers has shifted dramatically toward employers over the past 40 years. Union membership has fallen from 35% to 10%, and wages have stagnated as a result. The PRO Act would remove many of the barriers that make it nearly impossible to organize in practice — illegal firings of organizers (which carry minimal penalties), captive audience meetings, and endless delay tactics. A $15 minimum wage would raise pay for millions of workers, and paid family leave is long overdue — the US is the only wealthy nation that doesn't guarantee it.
A $15 minimum wage, while a significant improvement, was first proposed in 2012 — and by 2026, inflation has eroded its value significantly. It is no longer a living wage in most American cities. The PRO Act strengthens enterprise-level bargaining but doesn't establish sectoral bargaining, which is the system used in countries with the strongest worker protections and lowest inequality. Reclassifying gig workers as employees is a blunt instrument that may eliminate the flexibility many workers value — portable benefits offer a better solution. And 12 weeks of paid leave, while a start, is still less than what most wealthy nations provide.
For more on labor market dynamics, see the full labor explainer.
The Republican approach to labor emphasizes deregulation, free markets, and employer flexibility. Key proposals include opposing federal minimum wage increases (leaving it to states and markets), expanding right-to-work laws nationally (which allow workers to opt out of union dues), maintaining gig workers' independent contractor status, opposing mandated paid leave in favor of voluntary employer benefits, preserving non-compete agreements as legitimate business tools, and reducing regulatory burden on employers. Republicans argue that the best labor policy is economic growth — a rising tide lifts all boats.
Regulatory flexibility matters, particularly for small businesses that may struggle to comply with complex new mandates. The argument for localized wage-setting has some merit — cost of living varies enormously across the country, and $15/hour in rural Mississippi is very different from $15/hour in San Francisco. Some workers genuinely prefer independent contractor status for its flexibility. And economic growth is, in fact, the strongest driver of job creation and wage growth over the long term.
The "rising tide" has been rising for decades — GDP has nearly tripled since 1979 — and most workers have not benefited. Without a federal minimum wage floor, states in a race to the bottom leave millions of workers in poverty. The current federal minimum of $7.25/hour puts a full-time worker below the poverty line for a family of two. Right-to-work laws do not create more jobs — they reduce union membership, which reduces wages by an estimated 3.1% for all workers in right-to-work states, including non-union workers.
Opposing paid family leave ignores the reality that 23% of mothers return to work within two weeks of giving birth — not by choice, but because they have no paid leave option. The United States is the only OECD nation with no national paid leave policy. Preserving non-competes for all workers suppresses wages across the economy — even for workers who never sign one — because they reduce labor market competition. The "free market" for labor does not exist when employers have far more bargaining power than individual workers.
For a deeper analysis of wage stagnation and worker power, see our labor explainer.
The Common Good Party proposes the most comprehensive pro-worker agenda in modern American politics. Raise the federal minimum wage to $20/hour, phased in over four years and indexed to inflation so it never falls behind again. Establish sectoral bargaining so that wage and benefit standards are set for entire industries — not just one workplace at a time. Guarantee 16 weeks of universal paid family and medical leave. Create portable benefits for gig workers that provide health, retirement, and leave regardless of employment classification. Require 40% worker representation on corporate boards at companies with 1,000+ employees. Ban non-compete agreements for workers earning below the median income. Expand overtime eligibility to all salaried workers earning under $75,000.
Unlike the Democratic approach, the CGP plan doesn't just strengthen the existing bargaining framework — it introduces sectoral bargaining, which is the single most effective mechanism for raising wages and reducing inequality in the developed world. Unlike the Republican approach, it doesn't pretend that unregulated markets produce fair outcomes for workers when employers hold overwhelming bargaining power. The CGP plan addresses every dimension of worker power: wages, benefits, bargaining, job security, and corporate governance. It's modeled on the systems that actually produce the best outcomes for workers — in Germany, Denmark, and the Nordic countries.
Countries with sectoral bargaining have higher median wages, lower inequality, and comparable or lower unemployment than the United States. Denmark has no national minimum wage — because sectoral bargaining produces minimum wages of $20-$25/hour through negotiation. Germany requires worker representation on corporate boards and has the strongest manufacturing sector in Europe. Australia's sectoral bargaining system covers 80% of workers and produces some of the highest minimum wages in the world. These are not socialist experiments — they are market economies with stronger worker protections.
The Economic Policy Institute estimates that declining union membership explains one-third of the rise in wage inequality since 1979. The FTC estimates that banning non-competes would increase wages by $300 billion per year. Every dollar invested in paid family leave returns $1.50-$4.00 through reduced turnover, higher productivity, and lower public assistance costs. The CGP labor plan isn't ideological — it's what the evidence shows actually works.
The numbers matter more than the talking points. Here's what the Common Good labor plan would look like for real workers in real situations.
Want to see exactly how the plan affects your household? Enter your income, family size, and current costs.
Open the Tax CalculatorCommon questions about how the three approaches compare on labor and wages.
Have a question not answered here? Read the full labor explainer or visit our site-wide FAQ.
Dive deeper into labor policy with these pages.
Productivity is up 60%. Wages are flat. Every other wealthy nation protects its workers better. Read the full plan and see which approach actually delivers for working families.
Paid for by The Common Good Party (thecommongoodparty.com) and not authorized by any candidate or candidate's committee.