Key facts
- San Diego city council member Marni von Wilpert is running for a US House seat.
- Von Wilpert helped draft legislation to update federal labor laws, including the National Labor Relations Act.
- The proposed legislation aims to strengthen protections for organizing workers and allow monetary penalties for labor violations.
- The bill, known as the Pro Act, has passed the House but is stalled in the Senate.
- Von Wilpert's campaign focuses on empowering workers and contrasts with her opponent, Jim Desmond, who has opposed pro-labor policies.
San Diego city council member Marni von Wilpert is campaigning for a seat in the US House of Representatives with a central focus on reforming federal labor laws. Von Wilpert, who previously worked as an attorney for the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB), aims to finalize legislation she helped draft over a decade ago to modernize the National Labor Relations Act and strengthen protections for organizing workers.
The proposed reforms, which would allow the NLRB to assess monetary penalties for labor violations and impose liability on corporate executives, are part of the broader Protecting the Right to Organize (Pro) Act. This bill has been introduced in Congress annually since 2019 and passed the House in 2021 but has stalled in the Senate.
Von Wilpert is highlighting her labor background in her race against Republican opponent Jim Desmond, a San Diego county supervisor endorsed by Donald Trump. She argues that Desmond's record opposes pro-labor policies, citing his opposition to minimum wage increases and the creation of a county labor standards office. Von Wilpert stated her goal is to 'unrig the economy for working people, not just the wealthy few.' Desmond's campaign did not respond to requests for comment.