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Debunking Myths About the PRO Act
On February 4, 2021, Representative Bobby Scott (D-VA), introduced the Protecting the Right to Organize Act of 2021, or “PRO Act.” The PRO Act would amend the National Labor Relations Act (NLRA), which regulates private-sector labor relations in the United States. Supporters hail it as a “game changer” for workers, while detractors denounce it as full of “dangerous” ideas which will destroy the economy.
Others have summarized the bill, which I will not attempt to do here. You can view the current text and status of the PRO Act here. What I will do is to dispel a few of the myths about the PRO Act.
DISCLAIMER: I am not exactly a neutral observer. I have been representing unions as a lawyer for nearly four decades now; my sympathies are with workers, not employers. This is my area of expertise, which I have tried to wield all these decades to advance the interests of the working class.
1. The PRO-Act is NOT a Radical Change in US Labor Law
The biggest myth about the PRO Act is that it is a “radical” change in U.S. labor law. This myth comes from both sides of the debate. Richard Trumka, the president of the AFL-CIO, told NPR that “It’s a game changer.” The U.S. Chamber of Commerce says it “would radically rewrite labor law in the United States.”
