The PRO Act Is Anti-Workers

The PRO Act is a piece of union-backed legislation that has been circulating in Congress for months. It recently passed the Democratic-controlled House of Representatives but has never been taken up in the Senate due to a lack of Republican support.

But now, it seems the legislation has found a new champion in President Joe Biden. Biden tucked the measure into his radical $2.5 trillion infrastructure plan (which has very little to do with traditional infrastructure) and is pressuring Congress to pass the bill.

In a White House issued fact sheet about the Act, the Biden administration said, "He is calling on Congress to ensure all workers have a free and fair choice to join a union by passing the [PRO] Act and guarantee union and bargaining rights for service workers."

But a closer look at the legislation’s actual language reveals this bill would spell trouble for millions of American workers and eliminate choices they have in the job market.

Let’s break down the claims.

First and foremost, employees always maintain the choice to join a union. The problem unions increasingly face is that in Right to Work states, of which there are 27, employees cannot be forced to join a union. And it turns out, when given real options, employees don’t want to pay unions to do their bidding. Just last week Amazon workers in Alabama voted to not unionize and they’re one example of many. Private sector unionization is at its lowest rate ever recorded with just 6.2 percent opting in.

The Biden administration’s defense of the PRO Act belies its true intent, which is to force employees into unions and eliminate their choice. The legislation would overturn or outright ban Right to Work laws across the country - meaning those who choose to not join a union could be fined or fired from their job.

And this isn’t the only way the PRO Act would eliminate jobs and individual choice in the market. It also would restrict independent contracting.

A whopping 30 percent of the U.S. labor market is self-employed and in 2019, 14 percent said independent contracting was their primary source of income. Much of the growth in this employment type is held by women, who cite flexibility as their main decision driver.

Independent contracting and self-employment bring numerous benefits to workers. They are able to set their own rates, determine how much work they want to take on to meet their needs and desires, create flexibility in their work schedule, and build secondary streams of income.

All of this is great for the economy and great for the individual. Who it’s not great for is the unions that are unable to co-opt these people out of their earnings.

If the PRO Act were to pass, many of these jobs would be eliminated. It’s important to note that women have already been the most impacted by job loss during COVID-19, and this bill would certainly only heighten that. These workers would be pushed into less fulfilling or customizable employment, or more likely, pushed out of work altogether.

California voters recently struck down a similar measure at the state level for these very reasons. Unions attempted to sue over the vote. All of these actions vividly prove that unions and their backers seek to eliminate and overturn the choices of workers and voters every chance they get. Having failed to convince workers of their worth, they’re now attempting to use the government to force employees under their power.

As a single millennial woman, I have often turned to independent contracting. It has allowed me to build new skill sets, pay off debt, increase my income, and often, make inroads into new sectors or companies that end up becoming full-time work. I am an example of someone who would be seriously harmed by the PRO Act, but there are millions of people behind me that I represent.

The right to work is an essential liberty and one that Americans have got to stand up for. We do not need big government telling us who we can or cannot work for, and we certainly don’t need big government empowering unions to do their bidding.

Hannah Cox is a Brand Ambassador for The Foundation for Economic Education, the host of the vodcast "Based," and a Newsmax Insider. Read Hannah Cox's Reports — More Here.