The House voted Thursday to pass the Protecting the Right to Organize (PRO) Act, a bill to protect workers trying to unionize, increase penalties on employers who break labor laws to prevent workers from unionizing, and weaken some state-level anti-union laws.
“Good labor laws do more than just right the wrongs waged against unions and their members. Good labor laws help ensure people are safe at work and have a shot at decent wages, health care, and a secure retirement,” wrote Sara Nelson and Randi Weingarten, presidents of the Association of Flight Attendants-CWA and the American Federation of Teachers. “Good labor laws lift up every working person, even those not in a union, because when workers in unionized companies win better wages and working conditions than their peers in non-union companies, those peers may seek to unionize, too—and pressure employers to better their lot. Good labor laws set a standard for how working people should be treated in an economy where there are countless laws already on the books to protect the rich and powerful.” And, they say, the PRO Act is a good start at better labor law—even though it wouldn’t most directly affect their unions’ members.
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● Meanwhile, the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers has endorsed Joe Biden.
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● A New Jersey Panera worker writes: Trump just rolled back overtime pay. Now, workers like me need Gov. Murphy to protect us.
● More former Tesla workers say the company's Buffalo facility was a hostile, racist workplace.
● Security flaws threaten ‘panic buttons’ meant to protect hotel workers.
● "Let's get this bread": Bay Area Tartine Bakery workers move to unionize.
● Teacher strikes boost fight for racial justice in schools.