U.S. Senators Tom Carper and Chris Coons have co-sponsored a bill to strengthen the right of workers to organize a union and bargain for higher wages, safer working conditions and better benefits.
The Protecting the Right to Organize (PRO) Act would tackle a slew of worker issues, including:
- Establish penalties on predatory corporations that violate workers’ rights, and combat misclassification of workers as supervisors and independent contractors.
- Strengthen workers’ right to strike for basic workplace improvements, including higher wages and better working conditions.
- Create a mandatory mediation and arbitration process to ensure corporations and newly formed unions reach a first contract.
- Authorize unions and employers to negotiate agreements that allow unions to collect fair-share fees that cover the costs of representation.
- Streamline the National Labor Relation Board’s (NLRB) procedures to secure worker freedoms and effectively prevent violations.
- Protect the integrity of union elections against coercive captive audience meetings.
“Our country was built by hardworking men and women who, over the years, organized and fought hard for workers’ rights,” said Carper. “Unfortunately, today, instead of working to protect Delaware’s middle-class families, the Trump Administration is focusing its energy on ensuring that wealthy shareholders and executives can take an even bigger cut of corporate profits.”
The PRO Act was also introduced in the House with strong Democratic support.
“Unions helped create America’s middle class and have fought to ensure that generations of workers receive better wages and benefits,” said Coons. “
