A Senate committee hearing to discuss a labor reform bill showed disagreement between Republican and Democratic senators over the value that labor unions bring.
The Richard L. Trumka Protecting the Right to Organize (PRO) Act was reintroduced in Congress on Feb. 28. The bill would increase penalties for violations of workers' rights, ensure that unions can collect fees, modernize the union election process and facilitate initial collective bargaining agreements. It would also make it more difficult for employers to classify employees as supervisors and independent contractors, who are not covered by the National Labor Relations Act, and would require greater transparency in labor-management relations.
In the past, SHRM has opposed previous versions of the PRO Act, stating it would create an imbalance
in labor relations.
Stricter Penalties for Violations
Liz Shuler, president of the AFL-CIO labor union in Washington, D.C., said the PRO Act is necessary because some companies fire union activists, hold mandatory anti-union meetings and spend huge sums on union-busting consultants. She believes companies see labor violations "as a cost of doing business. They bake it into their business model. The PRO Act would change that," she told committee members.
In recent years, Starbucks and Amazon have faced allegations of taking illegal actions against union efforts.
"The very right to form a union is under attack," Shuler said. "Workers face unpredictable schedules and...
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