[Congressional Record Volume 169, Number 41 (Friday, March 3, 2023)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Pages E174-E175]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




    WHAT PEOPLE ARE SAYING: THE PROTECTING THE RIGHT TO ORGANIZE ACT

                                 ______
                                 

                        HON. HAKEEM S. JEFFRIES

                              of new york

                    in the house of representatives

                         Friday, March 3, 2023

  Mr. JEFFRIES. Mr. Speaker, I include in the Record the following 
statements from key individuals and organizations in support of the 
Richard L. Trumka Protecting the Right to Organize (PRO) Act of 2023:

       President Joe Biden: ``A union is about working people 
     having each other's backs, making sure you get the pay and 
     benefits you deserve. That's how we rebuild the middle class. 
     Employers aren't supposed to undermine that. The PRO Act will 
     make sure your right to join one is protected. Pass it.''
       Speaker Emerita Nancy Pelosi: ``The right of workers to 
     organize is a basic right that improves working families' 
     lives & strengthens our economy. Richard Trumka was a 
     champion of this right. Proud to support the PRO Act named in 
     his honor, which empowers workers to fight for fair wages, 
     benefits & dignity.''
       President Liz Shuler, AFL-CIO: ``The PRO Act is how we 
     level the playing field. It is how we stop the intimidation, 
     the lies. This is how we let workers, not wealthy 
     corporations, decide for themselves if they want the power of 
     a union.''
       AFL-CIO: ``For too long, employers have been able to 
     violate the NLRA with impunity, routinely denying working 
     people our basic right to join with co-workers for fairness 
     on the job. According to the Economic Policy lnstitute, more 
     than 60 million workers wanted to join a union in 2022 but 
     couldn't. As a result of this ongoing trend, the collective 
     strength of workers to negotiate for better pay and benefits 
     has eroded, and income inequality has reached levels we have 
     not seen since the Great Depression. The PRO Act would 
     restore the original intent of the National Labor Relations 
     Act (NLRA) that gave working people a voice on the job so we 
     can negotiate for higher wages. better benefits, a safe 
     workplace and protection against discrimination.''
       Communication Workers of America (CWA): ``The PRO Act, just 
     reintroduced in the House & Senate, is the most significant 
     piece of pro-worker legislation we've seen in decades. We're 
     not going to stop fighting until we get it passed.''
       AFSCME: ``Change begins with the Richard Trumka Protecting 
     the Right to Organize Act. This vital piece of legislation 
     would hold union busters accountable and allow thousands of 
     working people to experience the union difference. It would 
     give them the opportunity for a true voice on the job, 
     leading to fairer wages and safer workplaces. In a country 
     with rampant wealth and income inequality, unions are a 
     proven solution. This isn't just about economic justice; this 
     is about democracy. Workers deserve the freedom to form 
     strong unions and to use their voices at work without fear. 
     We urge Congress to pass the PRO Act swiftly.''
       International Brotherhood of Teamsters: ``More workers are 
     forming unions than ever before and yet, we continue to face 
     challenges around income inequality and rising healthcare 
     prices, I corporations take advantage of workers in the name 
     of maximizing profits. American workers need the PRO Act to 
     solidify the gains they have made and to fight back against 
     systemic inequalities.''
       United Steel Workers (USW): ``With some of the most 
     significant labor reforms the country has seen in over 
     eighty-eight years, the PRO Act targets loopholes in worker 
     organizing laws. The legislation, should it become law, would 
     help ensure companies fairly negotiate and are held 
     accountable during the collective bargaining process. It also 
     protects the achievements of newly organized workers by 
     establishing a much needed process for first contract between 
     companies and newly certified unions, allowing for mediation, 
     and when necessary, binding arbitration. When workers choose 
     to use systems set up by our government that allow for a 
     voice at the job, they should work in a timely and efficient 
     manner. The PRO Act will reestablish that pact between 
     Government, employer, and worker.''
       National Nurses United (NNU): ``Across the country, nurses 
     have been subject to intimidation and retaliation from their 
     employers because of their efforts to unionize. The PRO Act 
     would provide critical protections for nurses who want to 
     organize collectively and, in turn, would help improve 
     patient care. The dire need for this legislation has been 
     made all the clearer during this pandemic. Due to employer 
     neglect, nurses have been forced to struggle together for the 
     most basic safety protections at their hospitals and clinics. 
     Union organizing has led to improvements in infectious 
     disease protocols, staffing levels, workplace violence 
     prevention programs, and safe patient handling programs, all 
     of which directly improve patient care.''
       American Federation of Government Employees (AFGE): ``With 
     the re-introduction of the PRO Act, members of Congress face 
     a choice. Legislators can stand with American workers whose 
     legal rights are being trampled by private employers to the 
     detriment of the nation. Or they can stand with the 
     ultrawealthy elites whose status depends on the continued 
     oppression and exploitation of working-class Americans.''
       United Automobile Workers (UAW): ``For too long, employers 
     have been able to violate the law with little consequence, 
     routinely denying working people their basic right to join 
     with coworkers and have a voice in the workplace. Time and 
     time again, workers have fought for a union only to be met 
     with coercion, retaliation, and intimidation by employers 
     seeking to prevent workers from exercising their fundamental 
     rights such as illegally firing workers, holding captive 
     audience meetings, and threatening to close plants. The PRO 
     Act would address these and other impediments. UAW urges 
     Congress to pass the Richard L. Trumka PRO Act and send it to 
     President Biden's desk for signature.''
       House Labor Caucus: ``We are proud to support the Richard 
     L. Trumka Protecting the Right to Organize (PRO) Act. This 
     critical, bipartisan legislation will ensure all workers have 
     the right to organize and collectively raise their voices for 
     dignity and respect. The PRO Act would reverse decades of 
     anti-union policies, strengthening the labor movement. It 
     empowers workers to join a union, holds companies accountable 
     for obstructing unionization efforts by creating enforceable 
     penalties, and ensures free and fair union elections. This 
     bill will help make sure every worker that wants to join a 
     union can. Union membership is an essential pathway to the 
     middle class and with the PRO Act, we can ensure every 
     worker's rights are protected.''
       Unemployed Workers United: ``Thanks to Rep. Bobby Scott and 
     Rep. Brian Fitzpatrick for standing with workers to introduce 
     the PRO Act in Congress Standing up for working people is not 
     a Democratic or Republican issue--it is an American issue.''
       Laborers' International Union of North America (LiUNA): 
     ``The PRO Act would empower millions of Americans by 
     strengthening protections for workers who choose to

[[Page E175]]

     join a union and bargain for higher wages, better benefits, 
     and safer working conditions. Too often when workers join 
     with co-workers to form a union. employers work against them 
     in every way possible--from retaliation and dismissal to bad 
     faith bargaining. The PRO Act will level the playing field 
     for America's working men and women. LIUNA urges Congress to 
     pass this important legislation.''

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