NAM Doubles Down on PRO Act’s Dangers
The Protecting the Right to Organize Act would “devastate workplaces” if enacted, the NAM told the Senate this week.
- Today the legislation heads to the Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor and Pensions for a markup session.
What’s going on: The PRO Act—introduced in February by Rep. Robert C. Scott (D-VA) purportedly to expand labor protections—would do significant harm to manufacturers, NAM Director of Labor and Employment Policy Brian Walsh told Committee Chairman Bernie Sanders (I-VT) and Ranking Member Bill Cassidy (R-LA) Tuesday.
What it would do: The PRO Act contains “proposals that would constitute the most radical rewrite of our nation’s employment laws in nearly 100 years,” including:
- Removal of the right to a secret ballot in union elections and the institution of “card check”
- Elimination of right-to-work statutes in the 27 states in which they are law;
- Forced payment of union dues even by nonunion-supporting employees; and
- A ban on employers talking to their workers about unions without the involvement of a union representative.
What should be done: Walsh urged committee members “to oppose this misguided attempt to fundamentally restructure American workplaces” and instead put their support behind measures that truly support employees.
- “We look forward to opportunities to continue working with members of the [c]ommittee … on legislation such as the Employee Rights Act (S. 1201) to advance productive solutions that meet the needs of today’s workers,” he said.