Protecting the Right to Organize Act of 2019

Floor Speech

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Ms. WILSON of Florida. Mr. Chair, I thank the gentleman for yielding.

I rise in support of H.R. 2474, the Protecting the Right to Organize Act, or the great PRO Act. The Subcommittee on Health, Employment, Labor, and Pensions, which I am privileged to chair, conducted three long, riveting hearings in the 116th Congress. During these hearings, we assessed a multitude of legal obstacles workers face in securing union recognition and winning collective bargaining agreements.

Some facts are indisputable. Collective bargaining gives America's workers an economic ladder and safer working conditions. There are so many unsafe working conditions all over America.

During our first hearing, we heard testimony from Cynthia Harper, who suffered a severe injury in an Ohio assembly plant. Even though Cynthia was hurt, she did not give up. She fought for her rights. Cynthia was fired from her plant for organizing a union to win safer working conditions for herself and her coworkers.

Incredibly, the National Labor Relations Act has no civil penalties that deter employers from violating workers' rights. Importantly, the PRO Act addresses this by establishing meaningful penalties for companies that violate their employees' rights. This important legislation cements into law the principle that workers deserve the right to negotiate for a fair share of the wealth, wealth that their hard work, sweat, and tears helps to create for this Nation.

This bill makes every American man's, woman's, and child's life better. Make no mistake, anyone who has gotten a livable wage, equal pay for equal work, and a safe working environment should thank unions and support the PRO Act. Anyone who grew up in a middle-class home and is fighting to build a middle-class home for their own children should thank unions and support the PRO Act. Anyone who believes in growing wages, providing healthcare for all people, and protecting workers' rights should thank unions and support the PRO Act. Anyone who knows we should protect the right to organize and institute financial penalties on companies that interfere should thank unions and support the PRO Act.

Every single Member of Congress, Democrats and Republicans, House and Senate, represents working people, and this is a working people's bill.

Simply put, if you claim to fight for and support the interests of working people, you must support the PRO Act.

I ask all of my colleagues, Democrats and Republicans, to support the working people of America and support the PRO Act.

Ms. FOXX of North Carolina. Mr. Chairman, I yield 2 minutes to the gentleman from North Carolina (Mr. Walker).

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