Our nation’s labor laws are woefully outdated and have become ineffective as a means for working people to have our voices heard.

Last year, the U.S. House of Representatives passed the most significant worker empowerment legislation since the Great Depression, but an anti-worker majority blocked it in the Senate. That piece of legislation, the Protecting the Right to Organize (PRO) Act, has been reintroduced in the new Congress. The PRO Act’s passage is critical to ensure the voices of working people are heard and our nation’s economy works for all of us—not just the wealthy few.

The PRO Act will empower workers to exercise our freedom to organize and negotiate for better wages and working conditions. It will remove archaic barriers to organizing, increase worker protections and strengthen the institutions that hold corporations accountable. It will repeal the “right to work” laws that lead to lower wages, fewer benefits and more dangerous workplaces.  

The PRO Act will have an incredibly positive impact on our nation’s economy, as tens of millions of Americans say they would join a union if given the opportunity. Sixty five percent of Americans support unions and collective bargaining, the highest mark in nearly half a century, and we know that a union contract is the single best tool to ensure workers—all workers—have safe working conditions and earn a fair wage. This fight is about making that opportunity easier for more workers, because we know that through a union we see a fair return on our hard work and a safe way to speak up on the job. All workers want dignity and respect at work, and a fair share of the wealth that we create.

Join U.S. Senator Jeff Merkley, Congresswoman Suzanne Bonamici, National AFL-CIO Secretary-Treasurer Liz Shuler and Oregon’s Union Movement to learn how the PRO Act will empower America’s workers and make America’s economy work for working people.