We are on the verge of a new American era, and this election is a defining moment for New Hampshire and our nation. Rapid and accelerating changes in our economy, society and technology have raised the stakes for the presidency. From a worsening climate emergency to a remaking of our economy, the decisions we are about to make will define not just the next four years, but the next century.

So it was especially disappointing to see New Hampshire Gov. Chris Sununu veto a bill two weeks ago that would have finally reinstated prevailing wages on state-funded projects and ensured workers are fairly paid.

This is a particularly painful setback in a state with a strong tradition of labor activism – so strong that New Hampshire was the first in the nation to pass a law limiting the hours someone could be made to work in a day.

But Gov. Sununu and New Hampshire Republicans have shown no interest in carrying on this proud legacy. Instead, the governor has vetoed legislation for paid family leave and clean energy bills that would have created green jobs – and a bill raising the minimum wage will likely meet the same fate.

Under such a sustained attack, it’s not hard to see why Granite Staters are working harder than ever and barely keeping up. In New Hampshire, a quarter of workers make less than $13.13 an hour. Meanwhile, the top 1% makes 18 times more than the bottom 99%.

With the freedom to organize under assault, membership in unions in New Hampshire – the unions that brought us the 40-hour work week, basic labor protections, and safety and child labor standards – is now just 10%. While unemployment in New Hampshire has fallen below the national average, many of these jobs can’t support us like they did our parents.

But it didn’t start with Gov. Sununu and it’s not only happening in New Hampshire. Decades ago, American workers were promised a rising tide would lift all boats, but as GDP and productivity have gone up, wages have stagnated and inequality continues to grow. Conservative lawmakers from Washington to Wisconsin have launched systematic attacks on the freedom to organize.

In the face of these challenges, and as our economy changes, we need policies that can meet this moment and give workers a fair chance. And we won’t get there by nibbling around the edges or recycling old policy ideas from the ’90s. We need a fundamentally new and different approach to fix our broken political and economic system.

As an urban mayor from the Midwest, I’ve seen these challenges up close, and I know we must put forward bold solutions to take them on. That’s why last week I released a comprehensive plan that empowers all workers, lifts wages, and gives workers and employers the tools they need to thrive in this changing economy.

In New Hampshire and across the nation, we’ll double the rate of union membership by strengthening labor rights. We’ll achieve that by allowing gig economy workers, who currently operate as contractors, to unionize and earn a fair wage. At the same time, we’ll impose multimillion-dollar penalties – penalties that scale with the size of the company – when employers interfere with union elections.

We’ll also aggressively crack down on employers who call employees “independent contractors” to avoid providing pay and benefits, like workers with the New England Regional Council of Carpenters who have seen their wages taken away through loopholes.

Our plan would also expand protections to those who have been systematically excluded, like farm workers and domestic workers. And with New Hampshire women making nearly $12,000 less than men each year, we would require every large company to publish their total pay gap so we can finally hold companies accountable and ensure equal pay and promotions.

Finally, our plan calls for raising the minimum wage to $15 – which would directly benefit over 100,000 Granite Staters – and ensuring workers have access to sick leave, even if Gov. Sununu vetoes laws passed by the Legislature.

At the end of the day, this is about basic freedom and fairness. Workers should have an equal seat at the table and be able to bargain with a company for fair pay and safe work conditions. Corporations shouldn’t get to hide behind legal technicalities that let them mistreat workers. And our economic progress shouldn’t only be measured by abstract numbers like GDP. In my administration, I’ll measure our success by your paycheck.

In our rapidly changing economy, we need our laws and policies to change too. We need to ensure that workers have greater protections, flexibility and control. Let’s make sure that in this coming era, a new rising tide truly lifts all boats.

(Pete Buttigieg is the mayor of South Bend, Ind., and a Democratic candidate for president of the United States.)