No one working full time should live in poverty. Yet too many of our neighbors earn wages so low that a single emergency could push their families to the brink. The federal minimum wage of $7.25 is a starvation wage. We should raise it to $15 an hour nationwide, index it to inflation, and make sure hard work here in Connecticut is rewarded with dignity and stability.

I will fight to protect and expand the right to form unions and bargain collectively for better pay and working conditions. That means making it easier for workers to organize through majority sign-up, ending so-called “right to work” laws that weaken unions, and ensuring independent contractors and non-traditional employees are included in workplace protections.

We must build an economy that works for everyone, not just the wealthiest one percent. That starts by putting more power in the hands of working people and ensuring every job in our state is a good job.