BILL: As Auto Workers Prepare for Strike, Should We Protect Workers' Rights to Organize? - H.R.20

Updated Sept. 4, 2023, 10:15 a.m. PST

• The United Auto Workers (UAW) union has been in the news for their "audacious" demands, and observers expect a strike when their contract ends on Sept. 14. If the strike goes ahead, it will involve 146,000 UAW members.
• During a Labor Day parade speech in Detroit today, UAW president Shawn Fain said that if the companies don’t agree on a fair contract, “come Sept. 14, we’re going to take action to get it by any means necessary.”
• The union is pushing for a 46% pay rise, a 32-hour week with 40 hours of pay, and a restoration of traditional pensions.
• Automakers have dismissed the demands as unrealistic despite posting billions in profits. Over the last decade, the Detroit Three automakers have posted a collective net profit of $164 billion, with each CEO earning millions in annual compensation.
• Fain has also been vocal about unfair CEO compensation:

“They get out-of-control salaries. They get pensions they don’t even need. They get top-rate health care. They work whatever schedule they want. The majority of our members do not get a pension nowadays. It’s crazy. We get substandard health care. We don’t get to work remotely.”

• UAW members have voted overwhelmingly to authorize its leaders to call a strike. They have not decided whether to target one automaker or all three.

The Bill

H.R.20 - Richard L. Trumka Protecting the Right to Organize (PRO) Act of 2023

Bill Details

• Sponsored by Rep. Robert "Bobby" C. Scott (D-Va.) on Feb. 28, 2023
• Committee: House - Education and the Workforce
• House: Not yet voted
• Senate: Not yet voted
• President: Not yet signed

Bill Overview

• Expands labor protections related to employees' rights to organize and bargain in the workplace.
• Revises the definitions of employee, supervisor, and employer to broaden the scope of individuals covered by the fair labor standards.
• Permits labor organizations to encourage their union members to participate in strikes initiated by different unions, known as secondary strikes, and prohibits employers from bringing claims against unions that conduct secondary strikes.
• Expands unfair labor practices to include prohibitions against the replacement of, or discrimination against, workers who participate in strikes.
• Allows collective bargaining agreements to require all employees represented by the union to contribute dues for the cost of such representation, notwithstanding a state law to the contrary.
• Prohibits employers from compelling employees to enter agreements where they waive the right to pursue collective and class-action litigation.

What's in the Bill?

Offers protection from employer retaliation

• Holds employers accountable for violating workers’ rights with meaningful penalties.
• Establishes penalties against entities that fail to comply with National Labor Relations Board orders.
• Strengthens whistleblower protections and prevents employers from taking action against an employee who participates in protected activities, like sharing violations with an enforcement agency.

Strengthens the ability of employees to fight for better conditions

• Amounts to a comprehensive proposal to protect the rights of workers to come together and bargain for higher wages, better benefits, and safer workplaces.
• Secures free union elections by preventing employers from interfering and prohibits employers from hosting meetings that deter employees from joining unions. 

Recognizes the value of union membership

• From 1979 to 2020, annual wages for the bottom 90% of households increased by just 26%, while average incomes for the wealthiest one percent increased by more than 160%.
• Studies show that union members earn, on average, 10% more than those with similar education, occupation, and experience in a non-union workplace.
• A 2022 Gallup poll found that 71% of Americans approve of labor unions.

What Supporters are Saying

• Sen. Cory Booker (D-N.J.) said:

“Our nation’s economic success is directly linked to the success of working people. A union job is the pathway for millions of American families to the middle class, prosperity, and opportunity, but for too long, workers' rights have been under attack. We must work towards rebuilding a fair and inclusive economy that works for everyone.”

• Sen. Bob Menendez (D-N.J.) said:

“As a fundamental aspect to the continuous progress of our hardworking middle class, it is imperative that each working individual be empowered to exercise their right to stand together, organize, and be a part of a union. The introduction of this legislation solidifies the transparency, freedom, and fairness all workers deserve in the workplace, while also holding companies and executives accountable for violating their rights.”

• Liz Shuler, President of the AFL-CIO, said:

“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."

What Opponents are Saying

• Companies like Starbucks, Apple, Tesla, Amazon, Trader Joe's, and Chipotle have been in the news for union-busting and taking retaliatory action against employees who try to unionize their workplaces.
• Amazon has said:

“We don’t think unions are the best answer for our employees.” 

Tell your reps to support or oppose this bill

—Emma Kansiz 

(Photo Credit: Canva)