The Protecting the Right to Organize (PRO) Act (H.R. 20/S. 852) was reintroduced in Congress today. Reps. Bobby Scott (D-VA) and Brian Fitzpatrick (R-PA) introduced the bill in the House, and Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-VT) introduced the legislation in the Senate.
The PRO Act would strengthen protections under the National Labor Relations Act, ensuring workers the right to organize and collectively bargain for better wages, benefits, and working conditions.
The bill also would create a mediation and arbitration process to ensure that corporations and newly formed unions reach a first contract, authorize unions and employers to negotiate agreements that allow unions to collect fair-share fees that cover the costs of representation, and protect the integrity of union elections against coercive “captive audience” meetings.
Additionally, the PRO Act would streamline the National Labor Relations Board’s procedures to effectively prevent violations by establishing penalties on corporations that violate workers’ rights, and by combatting the misclassification of workers as supervisors and independent contractors.
“NALC is fortunate to be an open shop with more than 93 percent of letter carriers choosing to be members of our union,” NALC President Brian L. Renfroe said. “We do not take our right to organize for granted. We know that our country is stronger when workers are empowered and protected through unions. NALC fully supports the PRO Act, which would make it easier for every worker to form and join a union, and urges Congress to pass this bill.”
