Dear John,
President Biden said it in his State of the Union address—it's time to end abusive "noncompete" clauses that keep workers locked in their jobs, stifle entrepreneurship, and give big business more power over workers.1
And he's not waiting on Congress: The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) is pursuing these pro-worker reforms now. Showing public support is an official and much needed part of the process!
The scale of this problem is large. Between 30 and 60 million Americans work in jobs where they are forced to sign “noncompetes”—clauses in their contracts that limit where they can work if they leave or are let go from their employment.2
The consequences are many. Noncompetes compel many workers to stay in jobs despite low wages, limited benefits, abusive management, coercive scheduling, or other poor working conditions for fear they would not be able to take their skills to new employment. Noncompetes deprive workers of the ability to seek exciting and remunerative opportunities for fear their employers will bring legal action against them. And noncompetes limit the ability for entrepreneurial pursuits such as leaving to start a business.
Fortunately, the FTC, under the leadership of Biden appointee Lina Khan, a fierce advocate for workers and consumers, is issuing a new rule to bar noncompetes from most contracts. Now, it’s time to unite and show public support for this new rule, which would be a huge win for workers.
However, large lobbyists working on behalf of the most powerful corporations are sure to vilify and try to take down this rule before it is enforced—which is why we need to support it during the "public comment" period now.
Will you add your name to support the FTC's efforts and give workers a fair playing field—before corporate interests swoop in and try to stop this important pro-worker rule?
There's a reason President Biden brought this up in his address to Congress—it's one of the steps his administration can take to continue to empower workers, unlock America's entrepreneurial spirit, and curtail corporate abuse.
As Chair Khan said, "The freedom to change jobs is core to economic liberty and to a competitive, thriving economy ... Noncompetes block workers from freely switching jobs, depriving them of higher wages and better working conditions, and depriving businesses of a talent pool that they need to build and expand."3
She's right. It is imperative that our government act to balance the playing field rather than giving corporations all the power over workers and consumers.
We need members of Congress to back the FTC's efforts. Add your name now to let the FTC know you’re supporting their move to advocate for workers and confront abusive corporate practices.
Sign Now
Under the Biden administration, the FTC has shown it is willing to pick big, important fights. We need to show the FTC that the public will be behind it on this fight and other fights to come. Especially as Congress seems destined for two years of Republican dysfunction and obstruction, it's more important than ever that President Biden's agencies are empowered to govern in ways that serve us all.
Thanks for all you do.
–MoveOn
Sources:
1. "Biden Calls for Antitrust Measures to Rein in Power of Big Tech," Bloomberg, February 7, 2023 https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2023-02-08/biden-calls-for-antitrust-measures-to-rein-in-power-of-big-tech
2. "Noncompete agreements," Economic Policy Institute, December 10, 2019 https://www.epi.org/publication/noncompete-agreements/
3. "FTC unveils proposal to ban noncompete clauses," The Hill, January 5, 2023 https://thehill.com/business-a-lobbying/3800485-ftc-unveils-proposal-to-ban-noncompete-clauses/
PAID FOR BY MOVEON.ORG CIVIC ACTION
