WASHINGTON - Congresswoman Jahana Hayes (CT-05) voted to pass the Protecting the Right to Organize (PRO) Act, a bold proposal that strengthens workers’ power to organize and collectively bargain. Her amendment, which passed the floor of the House, ensures new, voluntarily recognized unions are given a fair chance to bargain on behalf of their members without the threat of a rushed decertification campaign.
“A non-unionized workforce means lower wages, poorer working conditions, and reduced benefits. It means workers at risk of exploitation. It means a workforce left with no tools to advocate for themselves in the workplace,” said Hayes. “My amendment will ensure new unions are given the chance to prove themselves without having to worry that their employer will invite a decertification campaign or stall negotiation at the bargaining table. I stand with my union brothers and sisters in protecting the right to organize and collectively bargain by voting to pass the PRO Act today.”
Over the past three decades, as union membership declined from its peak of more than 30 percent in the 1970s, the average income for the bottom 90 percent of families stayed the same, while average incomes for the wealthiest one percent nearly doubled. Connecticut has seen consistent declines in union membership, with a 3.5% decline in 2018.
The PRO Act makes comprehensive and necessary changes to protect and strengthen workers’ rights.
The PRO Act:
• Gives labor law teeth with meaningful, enforceable penalties for companies and executives that violate workers’ rights;
• Protects and expands workers’ power to stand together and negotiate for bigger paychecks, better benefits, and safer working conditions, and closes loopholes that corporations use to exploit workers; and
• Strengthens workers’ access to fair union elections and requires corporations to respect the results.
Read more about the PRO Act here.
###
Rep. Jahana Hayes has been a public school teacher in Connecticut for more than 15 years and was recognized in 2016 as the National Teacher of the Year. Currently serving her first term in the U.S. House of Representatives, Rep. Hayes sits on the Committees on Education & Labor and Agriculture and proudly represents Connecticut’s 5th District.