Rep. Ed Osienski, D-Newark, is the chair of the Delaware House of Representatives’ Labor Committee. Rep. Kim Williams, D-Newport, is its vice chair. Sen. Bryan Townsend, D-Newark, is the chair of the Delaware Senate’s Labor Committee. Sen. Jack Walsh, D-Stanton, is its vice chair.
Upon the celebration of our 131st Labor Day and looking toward next year’s 250th anniversary of our state’s and nation’s independence, it is important to recognize that Delaware’s workforce has been a crucial element of our success throughout our history. We cannot thank our workers in all trades and industries enough for what they do each and every day for our residents and communities.
We have come a long way from our beginning with the agricultural industry, which is commemorated on our flag, through the “Four C’s” heyday of cars, chickens, chemicals and credit cards. As our workforce has continued to change, what has remained constant over the years is the importance of supporting labor and union rights.
As chairs and vice chairs of the House of Representatives’ and Senate’s Labor committees, we are strongly dedicated to delivering progress and improving the rights that all Delawareans should have. Over the last few years, we have worked to continue to strengthen the foundation of labor rights, with the support of unions, and to pass critical legislation that will preserve these rights for generations to come.
On Jan. 1, we marked a crucial point for our state by implementing a minimum wage of $15 an hour. A higher minimum wage will enable many more families to have fairer wages and stronger opportunities. On Jan. 1, 2026, we will reach another milestone with the implementation of Delaware’s Paid Family and Medical Leave Insurance Program.
As part of our continued effort to recruit and retain Delaware’s workforce, we have supported all state merit employees with 2% pay raises. For the third year in a row, we have continued our investment in our education workforce by supporting those employees with 2% raises. Our teachers and classroom staff have also received additional raises, as recommended by the Public Education Compensation Committee, continuing toward the promise of teacher starting salaries of $60,000.
With salary increases and a wide variety of educational opportunities — such as the Grow Your Own Educator Program, Teacher Academies, education apprenticeships and much more — Delaware has seen the largest education workforce growth compared to any state, from before the pandemic until now.
With the state’s effort to prepare the workers of tomorrow, we have continued to advance programs and organizations that allow Delaware to be on the cutting edge of new technologies and opportunities for all ages. These initiatives consist of scholarships, tax reductions or credits and training programs to learn new skills in a variety of careers, such as health care, technology, education, trades and agriculture.
We know how critical state investments are to our workforce and our economy. With the partnership of groups such as the Council on Development Finance and the work of the Delaware Prosperity Partnership, it is important for the state to continue to balance these opportunities with the support of innovative businesses.
In the first half of the 153rd General Assembly, we took several steps to improve and support protections for workers. They included advancements of collective bargaining rights, such as requiring public employers to provide information about bargaining-unit employees to the unions that represent them and allowing for an alternative path of unit certification to the standard Public Employment Relations Board process. We have made certain processes easier for individuals to navigate, including streamlining the electrical apprenticeship program and the workers’ compensation payment and medical reimbursement system.
As part of our ongoing task to protect workers and provide accountability for all Delawareans, we have established additional protections against improper classification of employees. We also expanded the positions at the Department of Labor that require criminal background checks. Additionally, we have continued the community workforce agreement pilot programs and have required that certain projects at our public universities use labor agreements/community workforce agreements, as well. These will involve preproject consensus about the terms “labor workforce,” “community benefits” and “minority participation.” We have also required labor peace agreements for employees of the newly created cannabis industry, which began recreational sales Aug. 1.
On this Labor Day, the foundation of our working class is strong and getting stronger with increased salaries, enhanced benefits, additional protections and expanded opportunities.
We will continue to make sure labor rights here in Delaware are protected and secured for future generations. Through our efforts, we will continue to build on the foundation of these rights to make sure no one is left behind and that everyone has a chance to succeed in the years ahead. The dedicated members of Delaware’s workforce deserve every opportunity for all their hard work to pay off.
Reader reactions, pro or con, are welcomed at civiltalk@iniusa.org.
