Catherwood LibraryILR School

Rhode Island lawmakers are advancing a set of labor-friendly bills, including one to increase the state’s minimum wage to $17 by 2027. Other bills propose protections for graduate student workers, reinstatement of longevity bonuses for state employees, mandatory rest breaks during extreme temperatures, and defining union rights at charter schools. Supporters argue these measures address stagnant wages and poor working conditions, while critics, particularly from business groups and the state administration, warn of increased costs and complications. Brown University graduate students are also pushing for a bill to secure their right to organize amid potential NLRB setbacks. The fate of these bills reflects the strong influence of organized labor in the current state Senate.