Roe Opposes Legislation that Takes Power Away from Individual Workers

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The PRO Act is a sweeping anti-worker bill written to make it harder for American workers to opt out of union representation, and would eliminate state right-to-work laws that allow for employees to decide whether or not they join a union and pay dues. The National Labor Relations Act (NLRA) was last modified in 1947 and today, over 90 percent of union workers did not vote for the union that represents them.

Rep. Phil Roe, M.D. (R-Tenn.) released the following statement after voting against H.R. 2474, the Protecting the Right to Organize (PRO) Act:

“I understand the important role labor unions once played. My father worked in a factory manufacturing shoe heels until his job was shipped to Mexico. Our workforce has changed since then and union participation has fallen from as high as 25 percent in 1971 to just 11 percent today. Instead of adapting our labor laws to meet the needs of the modern day workforce, House Democrats took a giant leap backward today by passing legislation that takes away workers’ freedom to decide for themselves what kind of a workplace they want. 

“The PRO Act stacks the deck in favor of union organizers and union bosses. I offered an amendment that would require a secret ballot election for union certification. In April, over 80 House Democrats wrote to U.S. Trade Representative Ambassador Lighthizer calling for secret ballot protections for workers in Mexico as a part of the USCMA. If they believe the right to a secret ballot is essential for Mexican workers, why did they oppose my amendment that ensures this same protection for American workers?

“What we need is legislation that empowers American workers and ensures our labor laws meet the needs of workers in the 21st Century.”

Congressman Roe’s remarks on the House Floor can be viewed here.