A U.S. Senate committee recently pushed ahead three bills that could impact union activity, paid sick leave and pay equity requirements for employers.

On June 21, the Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions committee voted to advance the Richard L. Trumka Protecting the Right to Organize Act (PRO Act), the Paycheck Fairness Act and the Healthy Families Act on June 21. All three pieces of legislation have companion bills in the U.S. House.

Democrats mostly hailed the bills as beneficial for average workers, while Republicans mostly criticized the bills as being too pro-union.

The bills garnered support from the AFL-CIO, the American Federation of Government Employees, the American Federation of Teachers, the American Postal Workers Union, Communication Workers of America, the Economic Policy Institute, the National Urban League, and Oxfam America, according to Committee chairman Sen. Bernie Sanders, I-Vt.

"These are not radical ideas. Poll after poll shows these are what the American people want to see happen," Sanders said.

However, Sen. Bill Cassidy, R-La., said, "This legislation will not pass. Why? This is a deeply controversial and partisan set of bills that will never be signed into law. We don't have agreements on principle, nor agreements on key issues."

The PRO Act

The PRO Act would:

• Replace secret-ballot union elections with card-check elections.
• Prohibit employers' captive-audience meetings to discuss union activity.
• Overturn state-level right-to-work laws...

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