Statement from AFL-CIO President Richard Trumka after the passage of the Protecting the Right to Organize (PRO) Act in the House of Representatives:
This is a historic moment in the struggle for working people’s rights on the job, and it was delivered by a broad coalition that transcends any one issue, party or ideology. This fight is about strengthening fundamental civil rights. It’s about making us safer on the job, creating fairer workplaces and building a stronger economy. In the wake of a devastating year for America’s workers, that cause has never been more urgent.
Working people have been patient long enough. We aren’t interested in excuses, and we aren’t interested in waiting. The PRO Act is our litmus test. If progress is delayed or denied yet again, the suffering of the past year will only get worse and working people will continue to pay the price of failed leadership.
But if the Senate steps up to the plate and delivers generational change—the change we voted for—we will emerge from this crisis stronger than before. Everyone deserves the basic protections and dignities that come with a union card. The day the PRO Act is signed into law, tens of millions more working people will finally be free to carry that power in our pockets.
Contact: John Weber (202) 637-5018