In a win for the labor movement, the House on Tuesday passed legislation that would reform labor laws and give workers more power to organize after decades of setbacks to unions.
The Protecting the Right to Organize Act, also known as the PRO Act, was previously passed by the House in early 2020 but the Senate, then under Republican control, failed to take it up. The House passed it again Tuesday with a vote of 225-206, largely along party lines.
The bill includes provisions to expand the definition of employee for the purpose of allowing independent contractors to join unions, upend so-called “right-to-work” laws by allowing bargaining agreements to require dues by all all employees represented by the agreements, and prohibit certain anti-union actions by employers and retaliation toward workers who participate in organizing.
The bill would also give the National Labor Relations Board the ability to fine and penalize companies that do not comply with fair labor practices. It could also open the door for contractors at companies like Uber and Lyft to collectively organize.
“As an organizer who spent two decades fighting for working people alongside unions, I am proud to be a lead sponsor of the PRO Act. Workers have carried us through this pandemic, and it’s long overdue that we put power back into their hands,” Rep. Pramila Jayapal, D-Wash., said.
The bill now faces what is likely to be staunch opposition from Republicans in the Senate.