The PRO Act is very pro-labor unions, opponents say.
The House of Representatives voted 225-206 to pass a sweeping labor rights bill aimed at making it easier for workers to unionize and provide them increased collective bargaining rights in workplace disputes. The Protecting the Right to Organize (PRO) Act is likely to stall in the Senate where it needs 60 votes to pass. Even so, a lobbying battle is destined to ensue.
The legislation would also diminish “right-to-work” laws in over two dozen states that let employees forgo participating in and paying union dues. It would also prohibit employers from using their employee’s immigration status as leverage when negotiating their employment.
President Biden endorsed the bill saying it “would dramatically enhance the power of workers to organize and collectively bargain for better wages, benefits, and working conditions,” saying it would “create an economy that works for everyone.”
Representative Virginia Foxx of North Carolina, ranking member of the House Committee on Education and Labor, said the the bill “would take millions from workers’ paychecks, cost employers an estimated $47 billion in new annual cost, infringe on workers’ First Amendment rights, and put small businesses at further risk of closing their doors.”
The National Retail Federation and the U.S. Chamber of Commerce also expressed concerns about the negative impact the PRO Act would have on the economy and employment.
The legislation would also restrict companies like Uber and Lyft from classifying workers as independent contractors, a move that could impact as many as 57 million Americans who now work as freelancers in some capacity.
As the Lord Leads, Pray with Us…
- For wisdom for members of the Senate when they consider the Protecting the Right to Organize (PRO) Act.
- That God would accomplish His will through the federal and state governments with regard to the U.S. economy and employment.
- For the millions of Americans who work as independent contractors that could be impacted by the PRO Act.
Sources: USA Today, The Hill, Washington Examiner
