David Madland
Aurelia Glass
The Democratic Party wins the “party of workers” title by default. That's because the Trump administration and the Republican Party, which controls both houses of Congress, spent the last year and a half chasing erratic and corrupt policies that increase living costs, weaken wages and push financial security out of reach for the next generation of working Americans.
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To fully deserve the pro-worker title, Democrats must, when they regain power, put working people first — not the elites. Based on their historical record and some of their current policy positions — such as strengthening organizing rights and raising the minimum wage — they may be able to earn the label based on merit.
Working families are struggling, and the Trump administration’s policies are largely to blame. The share of national income going to workers is at its lowest level since the Bureau of Labor Statistics began recording data in 1947, and Americans’ take-home pay has remained largely flat since 2025.
The administration’s chaotic use of tariffs is so disastrous that the U.S. actually lost manufacturing jobs since “Liberation Day,” when Trump announced reciprocal tariffs on foreign imports. Research suggests the policies are driving consumer prices higher.
Americans are spending 30% more on gas — an extra $1 per gallon — than before the war in Iran, and the war has cost $1,200 per household on average. Millions will lose health coverage and food assistance because of Medicaid and SNAP cuts included in Trump and congressional Republicans’ signature One Big Beautiful Bill Act.
For generations, the political map of America was simple and stable.
Compounding the problem, the Trump administration is eliminating an overtime eligibility rule intended to cover millions of workers earning below $58,656 annually and taking steps to cut minimum wage protections for millions of domestic workers.
Even as the administration’s policies make it harder for workers to keep up, Trump continues to enrich himself and his cronies. The One Big Beautiful Bill cut taxes for the richest 1% by $1 trillion, according to the Center for American Progress. The administration also is pushing “pay to play” in the American government, allowing corporations that ally with the president to play by easier rules than their competitors.
In contrast, Democratic policymakers have a track record of supporting and implementing pro-worker policies meaningfully. During the New Deal, the Democratic Party enacted policies that created an American social contract for a thriving middle class. From Social Security to the minimum wage to overtime and strong unions, the Democratic Party enacted the cornerstones of pro-worker policy.
Even now, support for pro-worker policies is a meaningful point of difference between both parties. The recent passage in the House of Representatives of the Faster Labor Contracts Act — which would make it easier for newly unionized workers to secure a union contract — illustrates the difference: While Democrats unanimously supported the measure, only 20 Republicans joined them in voting in favor — and the Republican-controlled Senate is unlikely to even vote on it.
Still, Democrats have not delivered enough for working people when they had political power. Though Democrats significantly expanded healthcare access for millions through the Affordable Care Act, they failed to increase the federal minimum wage since 2009 and haven’t strengthened union rights in decades.
With the Trump administration’s attacks on workers, Democratic policymakers have been given an opportunity to again become the party of the working class. Democrats must focus on the affordability crisis over cultural policies and enact a robust pro-worker agenda. At the state level, in virtually every place they have power, Democrats have increased the minimum wage and expanded health coverage.
Now, a handful of states are pioneering a new model for unionization and collective bargaining that holds great promise. While skepticism that they will deliver federally is warranted, the party's history and recent actions point to a possible future.
Madland is a senior fellow and the senior adviser, and Glass is a policy analyst, both for the Center for American Progress Action Fund. They wrote this for InsideSources.com.
