Contact: Jess Kamm Broomell, 412-562-2444, jkamm@usw.org
United Steelworkers (USW) International President Tom Conway released the following statement in response to the U.S. House of Representatives vote to pass the Protecting the Right to Organize (PRO) Act:
“The opportunity to organize and bargain collectively is one of our most fundamental rights as workers. Union membership raises wages, makes us safer on the job and gives us a voice in our workplaces.
“But for too long, corporations and their political cronies have been chipping away at this right, making it harder for workers to band together and easier for employers to quash workers’ activism. As a result, union density in the United States declined while economic inequality soared.
“The PRO Act is a much-needed corrective to this assault on workers’ power and, if signed into law, will pave the way for them to better advocate for themselves and their families.
“The USW commends all the members of the U.S. House who voted for this historic legislation and calls on the Senate to quickly pass this bill.
“If we truly want to rebuild our nation’s middle class and ensure that everyone has the opportunity to realize the American dream, we must enact pro-worker legislation, starting with the PRO Act.”
The USW represents 850,000 workers employed in metals, mining, pulp and paper, rubber, chemicals, glass, auto supply and the energy-producing industries, along with a growing number of workers in health care, public sector, higher education, tech and service occupations.