After being introduced but not acted upon on in two previous sessions of Congress, a new attempt is being made to secure passage of the Protecting the Right to Organize Act.
Otherwise known as the Pro Act, the measure, if passed, would enhance the legal right of employees to join a labor union, while also prohibiting employers from conducting meetings to offer information counteracting labor arguments.
In one of the most controversial sections of the bill, the Pro Act would allow labor unions to organize secondary strikes when another union is striking against a company.
In introducing a new version of the legislation, New Jersey Senator Cory Booker argued that a “union job is the pathway for millions of American families to the middle class, prosperity, and opportunity, but for too long, workers’ rights have been under attack.”
Applauding Booker’s measure, Liz Shuler, president of the AFL-CIO, said of the measure: “This is how we let workers, not wealthy corporations, decide for themselves if they want the power of a union.”
The legislation has consistently been opposed by a number of industry groups, with Stephen Sandherr, chief executive officer of the Associated General Contractors of America, remarking: “This anti-worker, anti-privacy and anti-growth measure will harm our economy at a time when many employers are struggling to cope with inflation, supply chain disruptions, and labor shortages.”
In a statement, the National Association of Home Builders charged that the legislation would “expand employers’ liability for the labor practices of subcontractors and third-party vendors and narrow the circumstances under which an individual can work as an independent contractor.”
In so doing, the measure would also eradicate the “contracting business model that serves as the foundation of the residential construction sector.”
The prospects for the legislation are unclear. While earlier versions of the measure have passed in the House of Representatives, a change in the party membership as a result of the 2022 mid-term election, makes its success seem less likely.
By Garry Boulard
