U.S. House Passes PRO Act, But Senate Is Not Likely To Act

On the evening of February 6, the U.S. House of Representatives passed H.R. 2474, the Protecting the Right to Organize (PRO) Act on a 224-194 vote.

The bill, if enacted, would eliminate employees’ right to secret ballot elections, eliminate protections against forced union membership, interfere with a company’s access to legal counsel and attorney-client confidentiality, and make it substantially more difficult for Americans to start their own business or work as contractors or freelancers.

As a reminder, prior to last week’s vote the Metals Service Center Institute (MSCI) joined dozens of organizations, including the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, the National Federation of Independent Business, and the National Association of Manufacturers, to send individual letters to every U.S. House lawmaker asking that he or she oppose the PRO Act. The letter, available here, argued the bill “tramples on [employee] rights and ignores the consequences of dangerous policies on our economy.”

Click here to learn more about the PRO Act from MSCI’s partners at the Coalition for a Democratic Workplace. The U.S. Chamber of Commerce also has more information available here.

Under the leadership of Republican Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (Ky.), it is not likely the U.S. Senate will vote on this legislation. That does not mean the legislation will not come back up for a vote in Congress at some point. Labor unions that supported the PRO Act have made it clear they will emphasize their desire to have this legislation passed in the new Congress, which begins next January after the 2020 election cycle.