Photo: burwellphotography/gettyimages
Washington — A bipartisan group of lawmakers in the House and Senate on March 5 reintroduced the Richard L. Trumka Protecting the Right to Organize Act, also known as the PRO Act.
Provisions in the legislation (S. 852 and H.R. 20) include:
- Authorize the National Labor Relations Board to “assess meaningful penalties for unfair labor practices by an employer.”
- Permit NLRB to impose liability on corporate directors and officers who violate workers’ rights, including the right to a safe workplace.
- Direct NLRB to immediately seek an injunction to reinstate workers who are illegally discharged for exercising their rights while their case is pending.
- Prevent employers from infringing on workers’ right to organize by misclassifying workers as supervisors or independent contractors.
“The PRO Act will safeguard the fundamental right of American workers to collectively bargain and organize and will ensure workers receive fair treatment while holding their employers to just standards,” Rep. Brian Fitzpatrick (R-PA) said in a press release.
“I am proud to lead this bipartisan effort to strengthen the right of our nation’s hardest-working men and women to organize and negotiate for better wages, benefits and conditions. A strong workforce is the foundation of a strong nation, and I look forward to working with my colleagues on both sides of the aisle to see this vital legislation through.”
Fitzpatrick and Lori Chavez-DeRemer, President Donald Trump’s nominee for labor secretary and a former House representative, were two of three Republican co-sponsors (among a total of 219) of the previous version of the bill in the 118th Congress.
During her confirmation hearing Feb. 19 before the Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee, Chavez-DeRemer tried to distance herself from that support, stating multiple times that “I’m no longer the lawmaker.”
She said in her opening statement: “Like President Trump, I believe our labor laws need to be updated and modernized to reflect today’s workforce and the business environment. As a member of Congress, the PRO Act was the bill to have those conversations – conversations that matter deeply to the people of Oregon’s 5th Congressional District.
“I recognize that bill was imperfect, and I also recognize that I’m no longer representing Oregon as a lawmaker. If confirmed, my job will be to implement President Trump’s policy division and my guiding principle will be President Trump’s guiding principle: ensuring a level playing field for businesses, unions and, most importantly, the American worker.”
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Original article published by Safety+Health an NSC publication