March 4, 2021
Dear Representative Lucy McBath,
On behalf of the Dunwoody Perimeter Chamber, I would like to thank you for not cosponsoring the H.R. 842, the “Protecting the Right to Organize (PRO) Act,” and urge you to vote NO on this legislation that would be harmful for the economy.
The PRO Act would radically rewrite American labor policy and erase any sense of balance that has existed since Congress passed the National Labor Relations Act (NLRA) of 1935. While the bill includes many harmful provisions, some of the most damaging include: undermining secret ballot union elections, violating worker privacy, forcing workers to pay union dues, and imposing California’s stringent independent contractor test nationwide. In addition, the legislation would effectively repeal state right-to-work laws in the 27 states that have them.
This Congress, the PRO Act has a number of additional provisions that make the bill even worse. These include:
- Additional Violations of Worker Privacy: H.R 842 requires employers to turn over their workers’ personal information in a “searchable electronic format” with no privacy protections, thus risking exposure of their confidential information and opening the door to intimidation.
- Decrease Turnout In Elections: The National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) has always preferred in-person voting for union elections. In limited cases it has allowed mail-in ballots. During the COVID-19 pandemic, mail-in ballots have been far more frequent. This process, however, has led to decreased turnout. H.R. 842 would allow unions to permanently demand mail-in ballots, reducing opportunities for workers to express their choice about a critical workplace decision.
- Further Limits on Free Speech: H.R. 842 prohibits businesses from explaining that, per existing law, independent contractors are excluded from coverage of the NLRA.
- Workers Can Check-In, But Can’t Check Out: H.R. 842 codifies the NLRB’s so-called “election bar” doctrine prohibiting a decertification election prior to the end of an existing contract. This would, effectively, deny workers the option of voting out a union they were unhappy with.
- Further Disruption of the NLRA’s Balance: The NLRA establishes a careful balance between the rights of unions and employers. Unions can launch strikes, but employers are given the commensurate ability to lock out the workplace. H.R. 842 would take away that right, leaving unions with one-sided power to apply economic pressure in a labor dispute.
These are just some of the harmful labor policies included in the PRO Act. The Dunwoody Perimeter Chamber is grateful for your consideration of this matter and respectfully requests your support in maintaining a balanced labor environment for the Atlanta region and for the United States.
Sincerely,
Stephanie Freeman, IOM, GCCE
President & CEO
