The AFL-CIO is leading a Protecting the Right to Organize (PRO) Act Week of Action, part of the labor movement’s national campaign urging senators to pass this transformative legislation. The groundswell of support for the bill has been building since it passed the House in early March, with 572 events already occurring. Throughout this week, more than 700 events and actions in all 50 states, Washington, D.C., and Puerto Rico are scheduled.
Events range from socially distanced mobilizations and teach-ins to worksite leafleting, Senate call-in days and actions highlighting the critical role unions play in workplace safety on Workers Memorial Day, April 28.
Highlights from the AFL-CIO East Region:
- At noon on Wednesday, the New Jersey State AFL-CIO will remember lost loved ones who have died over the past year due to workplace illnesses and injuries, by hosting a virtual candlelighting ceremony on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.
- The New York State AFL-CIO will host a PRO Act virtual forum on Thursday from 3:30–4:30 p.m. ET, with Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand and an Amazon union organizer from Bessmer, Alabama.
- The North Carolina State AFL-CIO, North Carolina Council of Churches and NC Raise Up will host a Workers Memorial Day Service. Workers will be joined online by faith, community and labor leaders on April 28 for a service honoring those who have died or suffered illnesses or injuries while on the job and to renew the promise of safe jobs for all.
- In Virginia, United Steelworkers (USW) Local 8888 will pass out leaflets at 4400 Washington Ave., Newport News, Virginia, to educate members about the benefits of the PRO Act and how important it is to pass this transformational legislation.
Highlights from the AFL-CIO Central Region:
- On Monday in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, officers from the Pennsylvania AFL-CIO and the Harrisburg Region Central Labor Council will call for passage of the PRO Act and toss a wreath into the Susquehanna River in memory of workers who have died on the job this past year.
- In Dayton, Ohio, the Dayton-Miami Valley Regional Labor Council will lead a car caravan in support of the PRO Act that will travel to the Ohio Board of Trustees meeting in West Chester on Tuesday in support of Lee Wong, a trustee who has stood up for collective bargaining rights and has been the victim of Asian hate speech.
- On Thursday, the Wisconsin State AFL-CIO will be joined by Sen. Tammy Baldwin, economist Gordon Lafer and workers from Colectivo Coffee who are engaged in a new organizing activity for a virtual rally in support of the PRO Act.
Highlights from the AFL-CIO West Region:
- The Alaska AFL-CIO will host a workers CARE-a-van (car caravan) on Thursday at noon AKDT, where union members will drive around Providence Alaska Medical Center in Anchorage with PRO Act materials in support of nurses at the local union who are in the middle of negotiations with Providence Alaska. This hospital is the most profitable hospital in Alaska, yet nurses’ wages here don’t even meet the wages of nurses of other less profitable, nearby hospitals.
- The Arizona AFL-CIO, in partnership with the Union Veterans Council, will host a virtual press conference on Friday at 10 a.m. PT, featuring veterans across the region who will share their experiences showing why it’s so important to pass the PRO Act. The state federation will also host phone banks throughout the week.
- In California, the Alameda Labor Council, Contra Costa Labor Council, San Francisco Labor Council, San Mateo Labor Council and South Bay AFL-CIO Labor Council are organizing a May Day march celebrating workers and urging senators across the country to pass the PRO Act. They are anticipating more than 1,000 workers at the event that begins at 10 a.m. PT.
- The Washington State Labor Council will host a workers’ forum on Thursday at 5 p.m. PT featuring special messages from Sens. Patty Murray and Maria Cantwell and workers explaining how the PRO Act will help them exercise their freedom to join together in unions.
Contact: Carolyn Bobb (202) 637-5018