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U.S. Chamber & PA Chamber Oppose the PRO Act

The U.S. Chamber of Commerce & PA Chamber of Business & Industry strongly oppose the Protecting the Right to Organize Act (PRO Act, H.R. 842), which passed the House of Representatives in early March and is now being considered by the Senate. The bill would force employees to pay union dues regardless of whether they support a union, threaten private ballots in union elections, and strip workers of their independent contractor classification.

The PRO Act would effectively overturn right-to-work laws that have been democratically passed in 27 states.  If it becomes law, workers who choose to opt of out paying unwanted union dues could be fired. Under this legislation, independent contractors would lose flexible work arrangements and see fewer earning opportunities. It would also encourage “card check” voting where union organizers would approach individual workers and demand that they publicly sign a card in favor of the union. Additionally, employers would be stripped of fundamental legal rights, losing their standing in cases before the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB).

“A bill cannot be ‘pro-worker’ if it harms employees, threatens job creation, and undermines our economic recovery,” said Suzanne Clark, president and CEO of the U.S. Chamber of Commerce. “The PRO Act would threaten worker privacy, force employees to pay union dues or lose their jobs, and trample free speech rights. The Chamber will fight to ensure this wish list of union-sponsored priorities fails in the Senate and never becomes law.”

“The ‘PRO Act’ that unfortunately passed the U.S. House is a radical piece of legislation that would upend decades of established labor law, significantly stacking the deck in favor of unions,” said Gene Barr, president & CEO of the PA Chamber. “This bill also clearly exposes the schism between unions and workers.  Make no mistake, this legislation is anti-worker.  It weakens workers’ rights by undermining the right to a private ballot during union elections; forces employers to turn over to unions their workers’ personal contact information – including cell phone numbers and home addresses – even if an employee objects; and prevents workers from decertifying a union they grow to oppose.”

To help employers better understand the implications of this sweeping legislation, the PA Chamber will host a free webinar on Tuesday, April 13 at 11 a.m.  Presented in partnership with McNees Wallace & Nurick LLC and the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, the program will provide an overview of the legislation, how employers should prepare and how the business community can work together to push back against this misguided proposal.

Register for the webinar at the PA Chamber’s website.

Additional information including a link to the legislation is available at www.uschamber.com/stop-the-pro-act.

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