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What is the PRO Act?

The PRO Act would dra­mat­i­cal­ly grow work­ers’ pow­er on the job by expand­ing union mem­ber­ship, reform­ing decades-old labor laws, banning so-called ​“right to work” laws and end­ing employ­er intim­i­da­tion or inter­fer­ence in union drives.

International Union of Painters & Allied Trades, passtheproact.org

The PRO Act could transform the landscape for labor organizing, nationwide. Here’s a few ways the PRO Act could help workers right here in Georgia:

  • REPEAL “RIGHT-TO-WORK”: Far from a job guarantee, Georgia’s “right-to-work” laws mean that even if you form a union, win an election, and negotiate a contract with your employer, businesses can just hire non-union labor to undermine your organizing work. The PRO Act ensures that the union covers ALL workers at a workplace.
  • PROHIBIT EMPLOYER INTERFERENCE: 90% of employers force their employees to attend mandatory anti-union meetings where they use propaganda and scare tactics to stop workers from organizing. The PRO Act prevents employers from interfering in union elections & requiring workers to attend anti-union meetings.
  • COMBAT EMPLOYEE MISCLASSIFICATION: With the explosion of the “gig” economy, more and more workers are being misclassified as “independent contractors” so companies can dodge providing decent benefits. The PRO Act would stop this and penalize corporations for falsely telling their workers that they aren’t really employees.

For more information about the bill, read our PRO Act Fact Sheet here.

How do we pass the PRO Act?

On March 9th, 2021, the bill passed the House of Representatives, which was a huge accomplishment. We in Atlanta DSA organized a campaign that successfully flipped Representatives Lucy McBath’s vote on the PRO Act to a Yes. But the PRO Act still needs to pass the Senate, where it faces tougher odds, before it can be signed into law. We can’t let our guard down, and we must continue to organize and demand rights for workers.

Georgia’s Senators, Jon Ossoff and Raphael Warnock, have said they would vote for the PRO Act if it gets a vote. But the Senate has ridiculous old-fashioned rules that allow Republicans to stop bills from being voted on by using only 41 of 100 votes. This rule, called the “filibuster,” lets them block and obstruct anything they dislike, even though they lost the election! The filibuster has a dark history – some of the most visible and drawn out filibusters were waged by segregationists to block civil rights laws.

Democrats can end the filibuster at any time with a simple majority vote. But the Democratic Leadership has allowed this rule to stand. We need to make it clear to our Senators that their claimed support for the PRO Act is meaningless unless they have the guts to do whatever it takes to pass the PRO Act. Standing up for workers’ rights means ending the filibuster in order to pass the PRO Act. Ending the filibuster would also clear the way for other important legislation, like the For The People Act which would stop voter suppression in Georgia and nationwide. Labor unions and groups representing millions of workers are now demanding that Democrats end the filibuster. We must tell our Senators to end the filibuster and pass the PRO Act by any means necessary!

Sign our petition to Ossoff and Warnock: End the Filibuster and Pass the PRO Act by any means necessary!