Standing with Workers: Building a Middle Class and Protecting Workers’ Rights While Transitioning to a Humane Economy

By Brandy W. Walt, Humane Party U.S. Presidential Candidate

The middle class is the backbone of a stable, thriving society. When workers can earn a living wage and build financial security, they contribute to local economies, support small businesses, and create the foundation for community resilience. But today’s workers face growing economic challenges—stagnant wages, income inequality, job insecurity, and the environmental costs of industries that prioritize profit over people, animals and the planet.

My campaign for the U.S. Presidency is committed to strengthening the middle class and fighting for workers’ and animal rights. By building a fair, ethical economy that values human and animal dignity, my policies offer a path toward moral and economic justice, environmental responsibility, and lasting change.

Why a Strong Middle Class Matters

A robust middle class doesn’t just fuel economic growth; it fosters social stability and reduces poverty. When working families have stable incomes and fair wages, they can better afford essentials like healthcare, housing, and education. This prosperity circulates through communities, empowering local economies and reducing the need for safety-net programs.

A humane economy values people and animals over profit, offering everyone—regardless of background—the opportunity for economic security. My platform envisions a future where economic opportunity is accessible to all, grounded in dignity, justice, and equity.

Addressing Wage Stagnation and Income Inequality

In recent decades, wage stagnation has become a crisis for working families. As the cost of living rises, wages have remained largely stagnant, leaving many workers unable to afford the basics despite working full-time. Meanwhile, income inequality has skyrocketed, with the gap between top earners and the rest widening every year. This disparity not only destabilizes communities but also threatens the very concept of a middle class.

I believe in a future where hard work is rewarded with fair pay, not economic struggle. I advocate for policies that:

• Transition from an economy based on animal exploitation to an economic model that secures rights for animals while offering healthier, moral sources of food, clothing and entertainment for people.
• Establish a living wage that adapts to local costs of living.
• Implement fair tax policies that reduce income inequality and reinvest in communities.
• Prioritize wage fairness as a cornerstone of economic stability and social justice.

Through these policies, I aim to bridge the income gap and ensure that every worker can provide for their family and live with dignity.

Workers’ Rights in a Humane Economy

Workers’ rights are the foundation of a humane, just economy. Fair wages, safe working conditions, and the right to organize are essential protections for every worker. However, the rise of the “gig economy” has eroded many of these protections, with contract-based jobs often lacking health benefits, job security, and safety measures.

I am committed to strengthening workers’ rights. My platform includes:

•    Expanding labor protections, especially for gig and contract workers.
•    Protecting the right to unionize, ensuring workers have a voice in the workplace.
•    Advocating for paid leave, healthcare benefits, and comprehensive worker protections that respect the dignity of every individual.

In a humane economy, workers are not “resources” to be used and discarded. They are individuals with rights, families, and contributions to make to society, and they deserve respect and fair treatment.

Sustainable Job Growth and a Just Transition

Economic opportunity shouldn’t come at the expense of the environment or animals. Traditional industries, like the fossil fuel-based energy sector and animal exploitation-based “farming”, have not only contributed to environmental degradation and cruelty to animals, in the case of agriculture, but also to economic injustice, often leaving workers in those sectors vulnerable as demand shifts to greener alternatives. The solution isn’t simply to cut these industries but to offer a just transition for workers in these fields.

I envision sustainable job growth through investments in renewable energy, green technology, and business models that are not based in animal exploitation and that prioritize people, animals, and the planet. My approach to a just transition includes:

• Creating green jobs that offer stability, fair pay, protect animal rights and are rooted in environmental responsibility.
• Supporting training and development programs for workers moving from traditional sectors to sustainable industries.
• Prioritizing long-term economic resilience over short-term profits, building a sustainable foundation for generations to come.

By investing in sustainable job growth, we create a future where economic security and environmental health go hand in hand.

Humane Tax Reform to Empower Working Families

Tax policies are a powerful tool for economic justice, and they can be leveraged to lift working families and reduce poverty. However, many current policies disproportionately benefit the wealthiest, leaving working-class families to shoulder a greater share of the tax burden.

My approach to tax reform is rooted in fairness and compassion. I propose policies that:

• Provide tax credits for lower-income families to alleviate financial strain.
• Fund essential services like healthcare, education, and affordable housing through equitable taxation.
• Reduce corporate tax breaks that don’t contribute to the common good, instead redirecting those resources to community investments including supporting a transition from animal exploitation-based industries.

My goal is a tax system that empowers working families, supports social services, and promotes economic fairness.

Conclusion: Building a Middle Class with Humane Values

Building a strong, stable middle class is essential for a humane, ethical economy. Through policies that protect workers, secure animal rights, reduce income inequality, and foster sustainable job growth, we can create a future where every individual has the opportunity to thrive.

My campaign stands for policies that prioritize the well-being of workers, animals and the planet, challenging systems that prioritize profit over people. Join us in supporting a humane economy—an economy that recognizes the dignity of work, respects the environment, and builds a resilient middle class for a just, sustainable future.