On Thursday, April 8, members of the Machinists Union, labor leaders and workers are encouraged to participate in a national day of action to urge U.S. senators to pass the Protecting the Right to Organize (PRO) Act.
The PRO Act has already passed the U.S. House with bipartisan support.
Empower workers to exercise the freedom to organize and bargain.
Repeal “right to work” laws.
Ensure that workers can reach a first contract quickly after a union is recognized.
End employers’ practice of punishing striking workers by hiring permanent replacements. Speaking up for labor rights is within every worker’s rights—and workers shouldn’t lose our jobs for it.
Hold corporations accountable by strengthening the National Labor Relations Board and allowing it to penalize employers who retaliate against working people in support of the union or collective bargaining.
Create pathways for workers to form unions, without fear, in newer industries like Big Tech.
Thursday’s political push comes with the PRO Act’s endorsement by the White House. Many are calling the PRO Act the most significant piece of pro-union legislation since the passage of the National Labor Relations Act in 1935. In a recent video, President Biden called the vote to join a union: “a vitally important choice – one that should be made without intimidation or threats by employers. Every worker should have a free and fair choice to join a union.”
Labor Secretary Marty Walsh, a former labor leader in Boston and longtime friend of the IAM, calls legislation like the PRO Act, “one more step that will help people to organize freely. I do believe in the right to organize. I do believe in the right for people to join a union if they chose to. I certainly support that.”
President Biden unveiled his highly-anticipated American Jobs Plan yesterday, which the IAM believes will create union jobs with good pay and benefits. IAM International President Robert Martinez Jr. released the following statement after President Biden introduced the infrastructure bill:
“This moment is exactly why thousands of Machinists Union members went to the polls to support the Biden-Harris ticket and their policy of ‘Build Back Better,’” said Martinez. “The infrastructure package introduced today will impact generations of America’s working families by creating good union jobs that offer decent wages and benefits. The hope this administration brings to America’s workforce stands in stark contrast to where we were a year ago when thousands of our members’ lives were turned upside down due to the pandemic and devastating layoffs. The program introduced today is yet another welcome initiative by the Biden administration that will build back better our vital manufacturing and transportation sectors.”
As one of the largest industrial and transportation unions in North America, we applaud @POTUS for the worker-first #AmericanJobsPlan.
“During our meeting earlier this year, I congratulated President Biden and Vice President Harris on the initiatives that have already been undertaken, including the Executive Order to strengthen Buy American laws that called for strong domestic sourcing requirements and for infrastructure programs that include materials and manufactured goods, including equipment and other items throughout the supply chain, as well as curtailing broad loopholes that bypassed domestic content requirements,” said Martinez.
“The new infrastructure programs expand these initiatives by creating incentives for renovating manufacturing facilities, especially with green technology developed and manufactured here at home. The Machinists Union also welcomes additional initiatives in the newly announced program to support U.S. manufacturing and transportation jobs.
“This infrastructure package also moves us in the direction of ending corporate tax incentives that move our work offshore and creates incentives to bring our supply chains home. We look forward to working with the Biden-Harris administration and other members of Congress to build back better America’s workforce across all sectors, especially in the hard-hit manufacturing and transportation sectors.”
(@MachinistsUnion)