The PRO Act Gives Workers Tools to Regain Power in their Workplaces

A statement from Chris Shelton, President of the Communications Workers of America (CWA) on the passage of the PRO Act:

Today the House of Representatives continued to build a strong foundation for our country’s recovery from the pandemic by passing the Protecting the Right to Organize (PRO) Act.

Over time, corporate executives have gained more and more control over the lives of their employees. Their relentless pursuit of profit margins to feed the greed of billionaire investors has made it impossible for millions of working Americans to balance work and family life, to earn a living wage, and to speak up when their health and safety is at risk on the job.

The PRO Act gives working people the tools they need to regain power in their workplaces. It makes it easier for them to join together to negotiate for better working conditions, and it imposes real penalties on employers who hold threatening captive audience meetings, fire workers, or otherwise interfere with this fundamental freedom. It will help ensure that the people who have been providing essential services during the COVID-19 crisis are not left behind during the recovery.

I want to thank Speaker Pelosi, Leader Hoyer, Chairman Scott and all the other vocal supporters for supporting working people by making the PRO Act a priority. I also want to thank President Biden for his leadership. As he said in his statement of support for the bill, “We owe it not only to those who have put in a lifetime of work, but to the next generation of workers who have only known an America of rising inequality and shrinking opportunity. All of us deserve to enjoy America’s promise in full — and our nation’s leaders have a responsibility to deliver it.”

It’s time for Senators to stop hiding behind outdated rules and procedures like the filibuster and to pass the PRO Act so that workers can gain a voice at work and, in doing so, restore the voices of working and middle class Americans in our society.

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