Issued March 09, 2021
For Immediate Release
WASHINGTON, DC - SEIU International President Mary Kay Henry released the following statement today after the House of Representatives passed the Protecting the Right to Organize (PRO) Act:
“The PRO Act is a strong first step in ensuring that the voices of working people are at the center of our nation’s recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic. We have to make it easier for working people to stand together in unions if we are serious about building a more just, resilient economy where the voice of every working person is heard and respected. Corporations have treated Black and brown essential workers as sacrificial, refusing to honor them with a voice on the job.
“Millions of healthcare workers, fast-food workers, airport cabin cleaners and other essential workers are still being forced to risk everything to improve safety conditions and address other issues at their jobs. The PRO Act will begin to help change the rules that allow corporate CEOs to behave badly when we stand together for higher wages, benefits and a seat at the table. This bill will help put the power back into the hands of working people by expanding their right to organize, strengthening their access to fair union elections and punishing employers who violate workers’ rights.
“In addition to making the PRO Act law, we must continue to unrig the rules that have excluded too many working people from our labor laws, including by making caregiving jobs good, union jobs. With the PRO Act and President Biden’s Build Back Better jobs plan that builds a 21st century caregiving infrastructure, we can create the most diverse middle class in our nation’s history.
“Working families clearly told Washington lawmakers last year that they would no longer accept the status quo with an economy that is rigged in favor of the rich and powerful. The PRO Act is another critical step towards giving workers more power in our economy.”
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