Working Families Need The PRO Act To Pass

 

Another reason to eliminate or drastically curtail the Senate filibuster rule is arriving at the Senate shortly. After passing the House 225 - 206. the "Protecting the Right to Organize or PRO Act" is the first major pro-labor legislation since the 1930s, but with monolithic opposition expected from Senate Republicans (and their corporate donors) the bill's chances there are vanishingly small.

Among the features of the PRO Act would be the neutralization of anti-labor "right to work" laws (more accurately "right to work for less" laws) in 27 states. In addition, according to the New York Times:

"The bill would not in itself create unions or alter the right to organize. Rather, it tries to ease the path to unionization by strengthening existing unions, putting in place new protections for workers seeking to band together to negotiate as a bloc and establishing new penalties for employers that set out to bust up such efforts.

For example, the measure would deprive employers of some of their most potent tools in stopping an organizing campaign: calling mandatory meetings to dissuade employees from unionizing, as Amazon has done, and permanently replacing striking workers.

It would for the first time give real teeth to the National Labor Relations Board, which enforces labor law, allowing federal regulators to impose fines and other meaningful punishments on businesses that violate their workers’ rights. Studies suggest such violations have become widespread because employers face no real consequences for their actions. And wronged workers would get new rights to sue in court if the board declined to prosecute their cases.

Importantly, the bill also proposes changing how workers and their employers determine who is eligible to unionize to reflect the proliferation of contract or temporary workers who are doing the same work as full-paid employees. The provision would most likely result in tens of thousands of gig workers or more gaining the ability to organize." (our emphasis)

None of this will happen unless a filibuster-free, majority vote in the Senate is allowed. Unions were critical in assuring a living wage in the U.S. in the last century, allowing for working families to enjoy the American dream. Their labor rights have been eroded ever since by right-wing Republican governments, in league with their business donors, and we now have significant economic inequality to show for it.

BONUS: In a righteous minute, Rep. Tim Ryan (D-OH) destroys the Republicans for their opposition to the PRO Act. More of this. 

(photo: Getty Images)