Businesses reject the act—denies freedom and right-to-work laws

Congressional Democrats are pushing a bill that would impose many harmful policies on the economy. They say the so-called “Protecting the Right to Organize” Act, which the House recently passed, is pro-worker. In reality, it would threaten jobs and heavily tilt the scales in favor of labor unions, at the expense of workers and job creators. DANGEROUS POLICIES IN THE PRO ACT PRO Act Millions of Americans are trying to go back to work or find a new job. This bill would restrict their freedom to choose independent contract work. It could increase costs on job creators or upset their business model. Vaccinations are increasing and states are easing pandemic restrictions, making it a terrible time to cripple businesses’ efforts to rebound. One business group called it “the worst bill in Congress” and “completely unworkable.” SOUNDLY REJECTED BY BUSINESSES The PRO Act is yet another partisan bill that congressional Democrats are pushing − the House passed it almost entirely on party lines. Soon after, the AFL-CIO effectively said it would support ending the Senate’s legislative filibuster to allow the Senate to pass this and other partisan elements of President Biden’s agenda. Republican leader Mitch McConnell has said such a move would “break the Senate” and produce a “radically less stable and less consensus-driven system of government.” Organizations representing small and large businesses around the country have rejected the PRO Act. The Chamber of Commerce called it “a litany of almost every failed idea from the past 30 years of labor policy.” Associated Builders and Contractors said the bill would “strip workers of entrepreneurial opportunities to freelance as independent contractors, denying them the freedom to earn a living on their own terms and pursue the American dream.” The National Restaurant Association said it would jeopardize the economic recovery and COVID relief spending, “essentially setting fire to billions in taxpayer dollars.” PRO ACT WOULD OVERRIDE 27 STATES’ RIGHT-TO-WORK LAWS PRO Act THREATENS JOBS AND WORKER FREEDOMS The House-passed PRO Act and its Senate companion bill would impose sweeping changes to labor law that would affect non-union and unionized workers and their employers. Twenty-seven states have laws that protect workers from being compelled to join or pay fees to a union – in some cases those laws have been in place since the 1940s. The PRO Act would override these states’ right-to-work laws. It would allow collective bargaining agreements to require all employees to pay union fees as a requirement for employment. Workers would be forced to pay money to a union whether or not they want to be represented by it. One area that would not be directly affected by the PRO Act is the Supreme Court’s decision in Janus v. AFSCME. In that case, the Supreme Court held that mandatory union fees applied by a state violated the First Amendment. Congress cannot overrule the Supreme Court’s decision in Janus without a constitutional amendment. Given that Janus only applies to public-sector unions, however, its holding would not affect the constitutionality of the PRO Act.