Earlier this month, the United States House of Representatives narrowly passed the PRO Act, one of the most anti-small business and anti-worker bills in recent history. The National Federation of Independent Business is working closely with the Senate to stop this legislation from moving forward.
“We’re grateful to all the Members of Congress, from both parties, who voted against the PRO Act,” said NFIB government relations manager Jeff Brabant. “We’re also grateful to the Senators who have already made their opposition clear. We will continue to fight tirelessly to protect our members and the economy and prevent this bad bill from becoming the law of the land.”
NFIB’s opposition to the PRO Act was recently featured in the Wall Street Journal.
The PRO Act, which stands for “Protecting the Right to Organize,” contains many dangerous and unnecessary provisions that would overturn decades of employment law. For instance, it would require employers to turn over the private contact information of their employees to union organizers before union elections, eliminate the secret ballot process during union elections, and allow international labor unions to boycott small businesses with whom they have no affiliation.
Overall, the PRO Act is one big handout to Big Labor. A fact sheet on the bill is available here.
NFIB has been documenting the PRO Act’s many cons at NFIB.com/BigLaborThreat. We also balloted our members, finding they overwhelmingly oppose the PRO Act’s worst provisions. Over a thousand members told us how this dangerous bill would damage their ability to create jobs, raise wages, and contribute to their communities.
To educate lawmakers and spread the word, NFIB has met with members of both parties in Congress, launched a nationwide grassroots campaign, and organized efforts to mobilize opposition to the bill. These efforts contributed to the bill’s slim passage and bipartisan opposition in the House. NFIB continues to work with the Senate to keep the PRO Act off the table for the rest of the year.
While the legislation is sure to be re-introduced in 2021, NFIB will continue to help elected officials understand the threat it poses to America’s small businesses. “Despite passing the House, the PRO Act isn’t going anywhere this year,” said Brabant. “But we’re just one bad election result away from this bad bill becoming law.”
NFIB is urging all members to tell their Representatives and Senators that the PRO Act is bad for business, bad for workers, bad for the economy, and bad for America. This is true in 2020 and it will be just as true in 2021. To thank those legislators who opposed the bill and express disappointment to those who voted in favor, please see and sign our Action Alert.
