{"id":54298,"date":"2021-01-27T14:49:26","date_gmt":"2021-01-27T19:49:26","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.smart-union.org\/?p=54298"},"modified":"2021-01-27T14:49:26","modified_gmt":"2021-01-27T19:49:26","slug":"pro-act-would-strengthen-u-s-labor-laws-protect-workers","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.smart-union.org\/pro-act-would-strengthen-u-s-labor-laws-protect-workers\/","title":{"rendered":"PRO Act Would Strengthen U.S. Labor Laws, Protect Workers","gt_translate_keys":[{"key":"rendered","format":"text"}]},"content":{"rendered":"

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American workers have a legal right to organize and form a union under federal labor law. Unfortunately, U.S. labor laws are some of the mostly weakly enforced among all industrialized nations, meaning anti-union employers too often take advantage of lax enforcement and violate labor law with little consequence.<\/p>\n

The Protecting the Right to Organize Act,\u00a0or PRO Act, aims to change all of this, empowering workers to exercise their rights to organize and bargain collectively. The legislation passed the U.S. House in Feb. 2020, but then Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell refused to let it come to the Senate floor. With Democrats now in control of the Senate, the legislation is expected to move forward.<\/p>\n

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\u201cU.S. labor law is in desperate need of an overhaul. It both needs updating to reflect the changing nature of our economy, and strengthening to ensure workers\u2019 fundamental right to organize is protected.\u201d<\/p>\n

– SMART General President Joseph Sellers<\/em><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n

\u201cU.S. labor law is in desperate need of an overhaul,\u201d said SMART General President Joseph Sellers, \u201cIt both needs updating to reflect the changing nature of our economy, and strengthening to ensure workers\u2019 fundamental right to organize is protected.\u201d<\/p>\n

The act would amend decades-old U.S. labor laws to give workers more power at work and add penalties for companies that violate labor law. Currently, the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) has no authority to levy fines against companies that break the law, such as firing a worker who initiatives a union organizing drive.<\/p>\n

The PRO Act would also:<\/p>\n