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Workers of America proposes that Congress adopt the following Economic Bill of Rights, upon which future legislation and the formation of national policy should be based:
1. The economy exists for the benefit of each of its citizens, not the reverse.
2. Economic entities and policies should be judged primarily by the degree to which they serve the common good of their community and the nation as a whole.
3. A fundamental economic principle is that the economy provide, at a minimum, basic human needs (i.e., food, clothing, shelter, education, a safe environment, health care) for each member of society.
4. All citizens have a right to an honest job, a living wage and a safe working environment. Likewise, each citizen has an obligation to work if able, to provide for the needs of their family and to contribute to the betterment of the society as a whole.
5. The free market is rightfully the basis of our economy, but it is important to recognize that the benefits of a free market have limits. The government has an essential role in overseeing the proper working of the marketplace to assure:
6. Workers, owners, managers and consumers all have a legitimate stake in the well being of the economy. Their respective interests should be met by balancing those interests against the common good of the society as a whole.
7. The global economy has human consequences. Decisions on investment, trade, aid and development should promote, at a minimum, the provision of basic human needs for all citizens of the global community and protection of the environment for today’s and future generations. At the same time, the promotion of global trade should not be to the detriment of the American standard of living.
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This page last updated on April 26, 1997