By Ashlee Banks
Special to the AFRO
A bipartisan coalition of lawmakers in the U.S. House of Representatives and the U.S. Senate have introduced the Richard L. Trumka Protecting the Right to Organize (PRO) Act. The legislation aims to strengthen protections for workers seeking to unionize and collectively bargain for wages, benefits and workplace conditions.
The House version of the bill was introduced by Representative Robert C. “Bobby” Scott (D-VA-03), the ranking member of the Committee on Education and the Workforce, along with Representative Brian Fitzpatrick (R-PA-01). In the Senate, the bill was introduced by Senator Bernie Sanders (I-VT), chair of the Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions (HELP).
The legislation includes several provisions aimed at strengthening workers’ rights. It holds employers accountable for violating labor laws by imposing meaningful penalties, facilitating initial collective bargaining agreements and preventing employee misclassification. It also enhances protections for workers against retaliation when exercising their right to organize and it ensures free and fair union elections by limiting employer interference and prohibiting mandatory anti-union meetings.
Congressional lawmakers contend that economic growth has disproportionately benefited corporations and high-income individuals, while many American workers continue to struggle. Data from 1979 to 2020 indicates that while the bottom 90 percent of earners saw a 26 percent increase in annual wages, the top 1 percent experienced a rise of more than 160 percent.
Public sentiment toward organized labor has grown in recent years. A 2022 Gallup poll found that 71 percent of Americans support labor unions, the highest level recorded since 1965. However, union membership in the workforce has declined to 10.1 percent as of 2022, a trend advocates say is due to anti-union policies and labor laws that make it more difficult for workers to organize.
Black workers, in particular, have historically benefited from union membership. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, in 2022, Black workers had a union membership rate of 11.6 percent, higher than the national average. Studies have shown that unionized Black workers earn, on average, over 15 percent more than their non-unionized counterparts and are more likely to have access to employer-sponsored health insurance and retirement benefits. Supporters of the PRO Act argue that strengthening labor protections will help close racial wage gaps and provide greater economic stability for Black families.
Rep. Scott highlighted the significance of strengthening the middle class and improving working conditions, while also criticizing the obstacles that have weakened workers’ ability to organize.
“Unions are essential for building a strong middle class and improving the lives of workers and families. Regrettably, for too long, workers have suffered from anti-union attacks and toothless labor laws that undermined their right to form a union,” Scott said in a statement. “As a historic number of Americans put their support behind labor unions, Congress has an urgent responsibility to ensure that workers can join a union and negotiate for higher pay, better benefits, and safer workplaces.”
Congressman Fitzpatrick also emphasized the importance of the legislation.
“The PRO Act will protect American workers and ensure that employers are held to fair standards,” said the Republican congressman. “This landmark legislation will promote tremendous progress for workers’ empowerment and the economy. I’m proud to support this legislation that bolsters American workers’ right to organize.”
Senator Sanders highlighted the economic disparities that the legislation aims to address.
“At a time of massive income and wealth inequality, when too many workers are falling further and further behind, we need to make it easier for workers to exercise their constitutional right to form a union,” Sanders said in a statement.
“If we are going to reverse the 40-year decline of the middle class, reduce the widening gap between the billionaire class and everyone else…we have got to rebuild the trade union movement,” he added.
House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries (D-N.Y.-8) also voiced his support for the statute.
“The right to organize is sacred. The basic American contract has always been that if you work hard and play by the rules, you should be able to provide a comfortable living for your family and retire with dignity,” Jeffries said in a statement. “The PRO Act will empower workers, rebuild the middle class and create an economy that works for everyone – not just the privileged few.”
As the bill moves through Congress, its sponsors and supporters are urging bipartisan cooperation to enact what they describe as the most significant labor reform in decades.