It’s time for a new era in workers’ rights.
Tell Congress to Act
The deck is stacked against retail associates like us. When we fight for our rights, we know there’s a chance the people in power will try to control, intimidate, and abuse us to keep us quiet.
Imagine what our movement could look like if everyone could feel free to join, without any management scare tactics getting in the way.
Will you join us in demanding Congress protect our right to organize?
For over 65 years, the laws in this country have been written to protect the southern plantation economy – which was built on enslavement and the violent oppression of Black people. The laws empower bosses instead of workers, giving them the right to overpower people trying to organize for basic human needs. It’s time for things to change.
That’s where the PRO Act comes in.
This is our best shot at passing the most significant worker empowerment legislation in nearly a century.
If passed, the PRO Act would:
STRENGTHEN THE ECONOMY AND PUT MONEY IN WORKERS’ POCKETS
When labor rights expand, our wages go up. Between 1948 and 1973, when New Deal era laws expanded and enforced collective bargaining, hourly wages rose by more than 90%. But over the next 40 years — from 1973 to 2013 — hourly wages rose by just over 9% while productivity increased 74%.
STRENGTHEN WORKER POWER AND ALLOW SOLIDARITY ACTIONS LIKE STRIKES AND BOYCOTTS
The PRO Act removes prohibitions on workers acting in solidarity with other workplaces, protects workers engaging in peaceful protest actions, and safeguards workers’ speech under First Amendment protections.
PREVENT MISCLASSIFICATION OF WORKERS
The gig-ification of our economy has led to swaths of employers misclassifying their workers as “independent contractors.” Companies use this loophole to ensure the people powering their apps – or delivering packages – can’t form a union. The PRO Act would put an end to this and allow gig workers to organize.
ENSURE ALL WORKERS HAVE A CLEAR UNDERSTANDING OF THEIR RIGHTS
The PRO Act requires employers to post notices that inform workers of their rights under the National Labor Relations Act, and to disclose contracts with consultants hired to influence how employees use their rights.
HOLD CORPORATIONS ACCOUNTABLE BY STRENGTHENING THE NATIONAL LABOR RELATIONS BOARD
Right now, the penalties against employers who illegally fire or retaliate against workers who are organizing are a drop in the bucket – which means it still happens all the time. The PRO Act requires the NLRB to immediately seek an injunction to reinstate workers who suffer retaliation for exercising their rights, and allows workers to seek justice in court.
WHERE DOES THE PRO ACT STAND?
The House passed the bill (for the second time) in March of 2021, but in the Senate it hasn’t even advanced out of committee.
The Senate version has 47 cosponsors, and a 48th Senator has indicated support of the bill – meaning we’re just two votes shy of passing it.
We need supporters all around the country – especially in Arizona, represented by the only two Senate Democratic holdouts – to put pressure on Congress to prioritize this legislation.
HOW DO VOTERS FEEL ABOUT THE PRO ACT?
The PRO Act enjoys broad support not only in competitive “purple” states like Arizona, Pennsylvania, and Wisconsin, but also in traditionally red states like Alaska, Ohio, and West Virginia.
A majority of Democrats, Independents, and Republicans supported the legislation – across rural, suburban, and urban communities.
This is an issue that brings a divided public together. It’s time for a divided Congress to follow their lead.