03.05.25

Bipartisan Labor Leaders Introduce Bill to Protect Workers’ Right to Organize

WASHINGTON – Today, a bipartisan group of House and Senate Members reintroduced H.R. 20, the Richard L. Trumka Protecting the Right to Organize (PRO) Act, a comprehensive proposal to protect workers’ right to come together and bargain for higher wages, better benefits, and safer workplaces.

The House bill was introduced by the Committee on Education and Workforce Ranking Member Robert C. “Bobby” Scott (D-VA-03), House Democratic Leader Hakeem Jeffries (D-NY-08), and Representative Brian Fitzpatrick (R-PA-01). The Senate companion was introduced by the Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions (HELP) Ranking Member Bernie Sanders (I-VT).

Large corporations and the wealthy continue to capture the rewards of a growing economy while working families and middle-class Americans are left behind. From 1979 to 2023, annual wages for the bottom 90 percent of households increased just 44 percent, while average incomes for the wealthiest 1 percent increased more than 180 percent.

Unions are critical to increasing wages and creating a strong economy that rewards hardworking people. Through the power of bargaining, the typical union worker earns 16 percent more than the typical non-union worker.

The American people’s support for unions is surging. According to a 2024 Gallup poll, 70 percent of Americans approve of labor unions—remaining at near record highs. Despite growing support for unions, billionaire- and special interest-funded attacks on workers’ unions and labor laws have eroded union density and made it harder for workers to organize. The share of American workers who are union members has fallen from roughly one in three workers in 1956 to a new low of 9.9 percent in 2024. The PRO Act restores fairness to the economy by strengthening the federal law that protects workers’ right to join a union and bargain for higher pay, better benefits, and safer workplaces.

“Unions are essential for building a strong middle class and improving the lives of workers and families.  Regrettably, for too long, workers have suffered from anti-union attacks and toothless labor laws that undermined their right to form a union,” said House Education and Workforce Ranking Member Scott (D-VA-03). “As union approval remains at record highs, Congress has an urgent responsibility to ensure that workers can join a union and negotiate for higher pay, better benefits, and safer workplaces.  The PRO Act is the most critical step Congress can take to uplift American workers.  I urge my House and Senate colleagues on both sides of the aisle to join me in advancing the most significant update for workers’ labor organizing rights in over eighty years.”

“Never before in the history of our nation have income and wealth inequality been greater than today. Workers are falling further and further behind. In response, millions of Americans have expressed their desire to join a union,” said Senate HELP Ranking Member Sanders (I-VT). “However, the billionaire class is fighting with all its might to put down attempts by workers to exercise their constitutional right to unionize. That includes the decision by President Trump to illegally fire National Labor Relations Board Member Gwynne Wilcox and effectively shut down the NLRB. Without a functioning NLRB, corporate bosses can illegally fire unionizing workers, flagrantly violate labor laws and render free and fair union elections near impossible. Supporting the immediate reinstatement of Member Wilcox and the swift passage of the PRO Act would be major steps toward building real worker power. The PRO Act is long overdue, and I am proud to be introducing this bill in the Senate.”

“When our unions are strong, the United States of America is strong,” said House Democratic Leader Hakeem Jeffries (NY-08). “While Republicans are focused on giving handouts to their billionaire donors, Democrats will continue to fight to make sure that every American worker can organize and thrive and fight for better wages, better pay, better safety conditions and better benefits. Thanks to the leadership of Ranking Member Bobby Scott, that is exactly what the PRO Act does and we will not rest until we get this legislation across the finish line.”

“Billionaires know there’s no greater threat to their power than a union card,” said Democratic Whip Katherine Clark (D-MA-05). “That’s why they’re using miles of red tape to deny the American people their basic, constitutional right to organize. We can cut that red tape for good. The PRO Act is yet another chance for Republicans to show where they stand: with working people or their billionaire donors.”

“As we speak Donald Trump and his billionaire buddies are stealing the American dream away from working families, rigging every lever of society in favor of the billionaire class,” said Senate Democratic Leader Schumer (D-NY). “That’s why we need the PRO Act, to empower hardworking Americans to bargain for better wages, benefits, and safer working conditions. I've been involved in this fight for a very, very long time, and I will stay in this fight for as long as it takes – until every worker gets the wage they deserve, until the right to organize is protected and encouraged and secure, and until we finally make the PRO Act the law of the land.”

“Right now, Donald Trump and Elon Musk are attacking workers, including mass firing people by the tens of thousands, left and right, regardless of how important that work is,” said Senator Patty Murray (D-WA). “Reintroducing the PRO Act is more important now than ever. This is about making sure we are not just pushing back—but also pushing forward: charting a positive vision for workers and daring Republicans to make their actions match their words. Who do you stand with—the billionaires like Elon Musk and Donald Trump—whose favorite two words are ‘you’re fired?’ Or do you stand with hard working American women and men. People who just want fair pay, decent treatment, and a government that works to make their lives better, not worse? That should not be too much to ask! I’m going to keep fighting, come hell or high water, to make it easier for workers to join together and fight for the better pay and working conditions they deserve.”

“The PRO Act will safeguard the fundamental right of American workers to collectively bargain and organize and will ensure workers receive fair treatment while holding their employers to just standards," said Representative Fitzpatrick (R-PA-01). "I am proud to lead this bipartisan effort to strengthen the right of our nation’s hardest-working men and women to organize and negotiate for better wages, benefits, and conditions. A strong workforce is the foundation of a strong nation, and I look forward to working with my colleagues on both sides of the aisle to see this vital legislation through.”

"Americans believe in the power of unions and tens of millions of working people would become union members tomorrow if they could. But American labor law is broken, weighted on the side of the bosses and against the workers.  In too many workplaces, in too many industries across the country, big corporations and billionaire CEOs still retaliate against us for organizing.  They refuse to negotiate our contracts, force us to sit through hours of anti-union propaganda, and engage in illegal union-busting every day.  Now they have an unelected, unaccountable, union-buster trying to illegally fire tens of thousands of our fellow workers in federal jobs and an administration rolling back the workplace protections.  The PRO Act is long overdue, and the American people agree.  We urge elected leaders of both parties to move this critical legislation forward so that all workers have the chance to stand together and build better lives for themselves and their families," said AFL-CIO President Liz Shuler.

The PRO Act protects the basic right to join a union by:

  • Holds employers accountable for violating workers’ rights by authorizing meaningful penalties, facilitating initial collective bargaining agreements, and closing loopholes that allow employers to misclassify their employees as supervisors and independent contractors.
  • Empowers workers to exercise their right to organize by strengthening support for workers who suffer retaliation for exercising their rights, protecting workers’ right to support secondary boycotts, ensuring workers’ unions can collect “fair share” fees, and authorizing a private right of action for violation of workers’ rights.
  • Secures free, fair, and safe union elections by preventing employers from interfering in union elections, prohibiting captive audience meetings, and requiring employers to be transparent with their workers.

In the House of Representatives, the PRO Act is supported by 210 Representatives, including: Robert C. “Bobby” Scott (VA-03), Alma S. Adams (NC-12), Pete Aguilar (CA-33), Gabe Amo (RI-01), Yassamin Ansari (AZ-03), Becca Balint (VT-00), Nanette Diaz Barragán (CA-44), Joyce Beatty (OH-03), Wesley Bell (MO-01), Ami Bera (CA-06), Donald S Beyer (VA-08), Sanford D. Bishop Jr. (GA-02), Suzanne Bonamici (OR-01), Brendan F. Boyle (PA-02), Shontel M. Brown (OH-11), Julia Brownley (CA-26), Nikki Budzinski (IL-13), Janelle S. Bynum (OR-05), Salud O. Carbajal (CA-24), André Carson (IN-07), Troy A. Carter (LA-02), Greg Casar (TX-35), Ed Case (HI-01), Sean Casten (IL-06), Kathy Castor (FL-14), Joaquin Castro (TX-20), Sheila Cherfilus-McCormick (FL-20), Judy Chu (CA-28), Gilbert Ray Cisneros Jr. (CA-31), Katherine M. Clark (MA-05), Yvette D. Clarke (NY-09), Emanuel Cleaver (MO-05), Steve Cohen (TN-09), Herbert Conaway Jr. (NJ-03), Gerald E. Connolly (VA-11), Joe Courtney (CT-02), Angie Craig (MN-02), Jasmine Crockett (TX-30), Jason Crow (CO-06), Sharice Davids (KS-03), Donald G. Davis (NC-01), Danny K. Davis (IL-07), Madeleine Dean (PA-04), Diana DeGette (CO-01), Rosa L. DeLauro (CT-03), Suzan K. DelBene (WA-01), Christopher R. Deluzio (PA-17), Mark DeSaulnier (CA-10), Maxine Dexter (OR-03), Debbie Dingell (MI-06), Lloyd Doggett (TX-37), Sarah Elfreth (MD-03), Veronica Escobar (TX-16), Adriano Espaillat (NY-13), Dwight Evans (PA-03), Shomari Figures (AL-02), Brian K. Fitzpatrick (PA-01), Lizzie Fletcher (TX-07), Bill Foster (IL-11), Valerie P. Foushee (NC-04), Lois Frankel (FL-22), Laura Friedman (CA-30), Maxwell Frost (FL-10), John Garamendi (CA-08), Jesús "Chuy" García (IL-04), Robert Garcia (CA-42), Sylvia R. Garcia (TX-29), Laura Gillen (NY-04), Jared Golden (ME-02), Dan Goldman (NY-10), Jimmy Gomez (CA-34), Maggie Goodlander (NH-02), Josh Gottheimer (NJ-05), Adam Gray (CA-13), Al Green (TX-09), Raúl M. Grijalva (AZ-07), Josh Harder (CA-09), Jahana Hayes (CT-05), Jim Himes (CT-04), Steven Horsford (NV-04), Chrissy Houlahan (PA-06), Steny Hoyer (MD-05), Val T. Hoyle (OR-04), Jared Huffman (CA-02), Glenn Ivey (MD-04), Jonathan L. Jackson (IL-01), Sara Jacobs (CA-51), Pramila Jayapal (WA-07), Hakeem S. Jeffries (NY-08), Hank Johnson (GA-04), Julie Johnson (TX-32), Sydney Kamlager-Dove (CA-37), Marcy Kaptur (OH-09), Bill Keating (MA-09), Robin L. Kelly (IL-02), Timothy M. Kennedy (NY-26), Ro Khanna (CA-17), Raja Krishnamoorthi (IL-08), Greg Landsman (OH-01), Rick Larsen (WA-02), John B. Larson (CT-01), George Latimer (NY-16), Summer Lee (PA-12), Susie Lee (NV-03), Teresa Leger Fernandez (NM-03), Mike Levin (CA-49), Ted Lieu (CA-36), Zoe Lofgren (CA-18), Stephen Lynch (MA-08), Seth Magaziner (RI-02), John W. Mannion (NY-22) , Doris O. Matsui (CA-07), Lucy McBath (GA-06), Sarah McBride (DE-At Large), April McClain Delaney (MD-06), Jennifer McClellan (VA-04), Betty McCollum (MN-04), Kristen McDonald Rivet (MI-08), Morgan McGarvey (KY-03), James P. McGovern (MA-02), LaMonica McIver (NJ-10), Gregory W. Meeks (NY-05), Robert Menendez (NJ-08), Grace Meng (NY-06), Kweisi Mfume (MD-07), Dave Min (CA-47), Gwen Moore (WI-04), Joseph D. Morelle (NY-25), Kelly Morrison (MN-03), Jared Moskowitz (FL-23), Seth Moulton (MA-06), Frank J. Mrvan (IN-01), Kevin Mullin (CA-15), Jerrold Nadler (NY-12), Richard E. Neal (MA-01), Joe Neguse (CO-02), Donald Norcross (NJ-01), Eleanor Holmes Norton (DC-At Large), Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (NY-14), Johnny Olszewski Jr. (MD-02), Ilhan Omar (MN-05), Frank Pallone Jr. (NJ-06), Jimmy Panetta (CA-19), Chris Pappas (NH-01), Nancy Pelosi (CA-11), Marie Gluesenkamp Perez (WA-03), Scott H. Peters (CA-50), Brittany Pettersen (CO-07), Chellie Pingree (ME-01), Stacey E. Plaskett (VI-At Large), Mark Pocan (WI-02), Nellie Pou (NJ-09), Ayanna Pressley (MA-07), Mike Quigley (IL-05), Delia C. Ramirez (IL-03), Emily Randall (WA-06), Jamie Raskin (MD-08), Josh Riley (NY-19), Luz M. Rivas (CA-29), Deborah K. Ross (NC-02), Raul Ruiz (CA-25), Patrick Ryan (NY-18), Andrea Salinas (OR-06), Linda T. Sánchez (CA-38), Mary Gay Scanlon (PA-05), Janice D. Schakowsky (IL-09), Bradley Scott  Schneider (IL-10), Hillary J. Scholten (MI-03), Kim Schrier (WA-08), David Scott (GA-13), Terri A. Sewell (AL-07), Brad Sherman (CA-32), Mikie Sherrill (NJ-11), Lateefah Simon (CA-12), Adam Smith (WA-09), Chris H. Smith (NJ-04), Eric Sorensen (IL-17), Darren Soto (FL-09), Melanie A. Stansbury (NM-01), Greg Stanton (AZ-04), Haley M. Stevens (MI-11), Marilyn Strickland (WA-10), Suhas Subramanyam (VA-10), Thomas R. Suozzi (NY-03), Eric Swalwell (CA-14), Emilia Strong Sykes (OH-13), Mark Takano (CA-39), Shri Thanedar (MI-13), Bennie G. Thompson (MS-02), Mike Thompson (CA-04), Dina Titus (NV-01), Rashida Tlaib (MI-12), Jill N. Tokuda (HI-02), Paul Tonko (NY-20), Norma J. Torres (CA-35), Ritchie Torres (NY-15), Lori Trahan (MA-03), Derek Tran (CA-45), Lauren Underwood (IL-14), Juan Vargas (CA-52), Gabe Vasquez (NM-02), Marc A. Veasey (TX-33), Nydia M. Velázquez (NY-07), Eugene Simon Vindman (VA-07), Debbie Wasserman Schultz (FL-25), Maxine Waters (CA-43), Bonnie Watson Coleman (NJ-12), George Whitesides (CA-27), Nikema Williams (GA-05), and Frederica S. Wilson (FL-24).

The PRO Act is supported by: AFL-CIO, American Federation of Musicians (AFM), American Federation of Teachers (AFT), Communications Workers of America (CWA), Department of Professional Employees, AFL-CIO (DPE), International Alliance of Theatrical Stage Employees (IATSE), International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers (IAM), International Association of Sheet Metal, Air, Rail and Transportation Workers (SMART), International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers (IBEW), International Union of Bricklayers and Allied Craftworkers (BAC), International Union of Painters and Allied Trades (IUPAT), Laborers' International Union of North America (LiUNA), National Nurses United (NNU), National Postal Mail Handlers Union (NPMHU), Service Employees International Union (SEIU), Transport Workers Union of America, AFL-CIO (TWU), United Automobile, Aerospace and Agricultural Implement Workers of America (UAW), and United Steelworkers (USW).

For the bill text of the PRO Act, click here.

For a fact sheet on the PRO Act, click here.

For a section-by-section summary of the PRO Act, click here.

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