CWA Holds Members of Congress Accountable on the PRO Act

On Valentine's Day, CWA members across the country held protests to call out Members of Congress who voted against the PRO Act, and to show them that working people have no love for elected officials who don't support working people.

The PRO Act is historic legislation that would make it easier for workers to join a union, crack down on companies that violate our rights to organize, protect strikes and other protest activities, make it easier to bargain union contracts, and prevent the misclassification of workers as independent contractors.

CWA members also held actions to thank the many Members of Congress who did vote for the PRO Act, which passed in the House of Representatives on February 6. Republican Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell has not moved the bill forward in the Senate and President Trump has pledged to veto it.

Read more about CWA members' protest of Rep. Henry Cuellar's (D-TX) vote against the PRO Act by clicking here.

We were able to win the PRO Act vote because CWA members helped elect a pro-worker majority in the House in 2018. Because we must continue to build on that success, the CWA Executive Board has declared that no member of Congress – Democrat or Republican – will receive CWA's endorsement for reelection unless they support the PRO Act.

To reinforce that commitment, CWA President Chris Shelton sent a letter to Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee (DCCC) Chair Cheri Bustos this week to urge the Committee to cease providing campaign support to the seven Democratic House Members who voted against the PRO Act.

The seven Democratic House Members who voted against the PRO Act are: Rep. Henry Cuellar (TX-28), Rep. Joe Cunningham (SC-01), Rep. Kendra Horn (OK-05), Rep. Ben McAdams (UT-04), Rep. Lucy McBath (GA-06), Rep. Stephanie Murphy (FL-07), and Rep. Kurt Schrader (OR-05).

"The PRO Act is a continuation of the long history of the Democratic Party's policies to strengthen workers' voices in the U.S. economy and create a level playing field and an engine for millions of workers to reach the middle class and, therefore, a stable and comfortable life," wrote Shelton. "Those who voted against the PRO Act have betrayed this fundamental principle of the Democratic Party. And due to those votes, it is impossible for CWA to urge our members to support any of these seven candidates. They must be denied the support of the Democratic Party for refusing to stand with working Americans."

CWA members in North Carolina attempted to deliver postcards in support of the PRO Act to Republican Senator Tom Tillis, but the staff wouldn't even open the door for them.