BlueGreen Alliance Urges Passage of Protecting the Right to Organize (PRO) Act
The House Committee on Education and Labor held a subcommittee hearing today on the Protecting the Right to Organize (PRO) Act. The PRO Act ends prohibitions on collective and class-action litigation, prohibits employers from permanently replacing striking employees, amends how employees are defined to ensure that no one is misclassified as an independent contractor, strengthens remedies and enforcement for employees who are exercising their rights, creates a mediation and arbitration process for new unions, protects against captive audience meetings, and streamlines the National Labor Relations Board’s procedures.
In response to today’s hearing, the BlueGreen Alliance released the following statement from Interim Co-Executive Director Mike Williams:
“When unions are strong local economies prosper, workers are safer and healthier, and our environment is safeguarded. The Protecting the Right to Organize (PRO) Act is an important bill that will empower employees by supporting workers’ rights to bargain and organize.
“Union workers protect themselves, their fellow workers, the communities around their workplaces, and the environment every day. They have the training to deal with potentially dangerous or hazardous situations in the workplace and are able to blow the whistle without fear of reprisal because they know their union has their back. That means fewer industrial disasters and safer workplaces, as well as cleaner air and water.
“For too long, attempts to weaken unions and collective bargaining rights have gone unanswered. Today, we see that the leaders in Congress are fighting for working people. We thank the bill’s sponsors in the House and the Senate for introducing this important piece of legislation and urge its quick passage.”