U.S. House Expected To Vote On Labor Bill This Month

The U.S. House of Representative returned from its holiday recess on Monday, Jan. 6 and is expected to vote soon on H.R. 2474, the Protecting the Right to Organize (PRO) Act.

As Connecting the Dots previously reported, this bill would codify the Obama-era joint-employer standard into law, force union representation without an election and change requirements for independent contractor status.

According to the National Association of Manufacturers, the PRO Act also includes provisions that would eliminate “right-to-work” protections for workers across the country (the 27 states that have already passed right-to-work laws would be impacted) and could interfere with attorney-client confidentiality and make it harder for businesses to secure important legal advice on matters involving complex labor law.

If MSCI member companies are interested in weighing in against this legislation, the Coalition for a Democratic Workplace, which MSCI is a member of, has created a grassroots portal to do so. The CDW also has created a grassroots toolkit to help interested parties understand the provisions of the bill. The toolkit includes a video explaining the legislation and a leave-behind for any meetings with members of Congress.

The U.S. Chamber of Commerce has said the PRO Act would “undermine worker rights, ensnare employers in unrelated labor disputes, disrupt the economy, and force individual Americans to pay union dues regardless of their wishes.” Interested parties also can use the Chamber’s website to send a message to lawmakers about this legislation.