Letter from the President

A LETTER FROM THE PRESIDENT

WHAT DOES THE PRO ACT MEAN FOR YOU?

By: David Helveston, President/CEO

As contractors struggle to rebound from the COVID shutdowns, the Biden administration offered a glimmer of hope with the announcement of a major infrastructure spending package. Unfortunately, only a tiny fraction of the massive spending would go towards roads and bridges. Even worse, the Biden plan calls for the passage of the Protecting the Right to Organize (PRO) Act, a bill that would threaten the existence of the merit shop construction industry.

If passed and signed into law, the PRO Act will eliminate opportunities for millions of merit shop employees and non-union companies across America. Employees will be denied the freedom to earn a living on their own terms and pursue the American dream. The variety of employment opportunities as we know it today will no longer exist.

The future of the merit shop is on the line, and ABC is fighting to put an end to this controversial legislation. If passed the PRO Act will:

Eliminate Right to Work Protections

The PRO Act will supersede state law and immediately overturn right-to-work laws in 27 states. Repealing rightto-work protections would strip millions of employees of the right to refrain from joining a union and would result in workers being forced to pay union dues to keep their job.

Expose Employee Personal Information

The PRO Act will expose workers’ personal privacy by mandating that businesses turn over workers’ personal information, such as cell phone numbers, home addresses and even assigned shifts to union organizers.

Remove Free Choice

The PRO ACT will strip away workers’ free choice in union elections by instituting a backdoor “card check,” which would, in many circumstances, replace union elections with a system that forces employees to sign union authorization cards in front of coworkers and union organizers.

Limit the Gig Economy

The PRO Act will limit the ability of individuals to work in the “gig economy” where they have the freedom to set their own work schedule or otherwise pursue entrepreneurial opportunities. The provision would use the standard adopted in California’s disastrous AB 5, to forcibly reclassify many independent contractors as employees.

End Secondary Boycott Protections

The PRO Act will allow unions to protest and boycott companies that are not directly involved in a labor dispute by eliminating the NLRA’s 70-year ban on secondary boycott activity. If this provision is signed into law, unions could target not only the employer involved in a labor dispute but also any company that does business with that employer.

Interfere with Attorney-Client Confidentiality

The PRO Act will interfere with attorney-client confidentiality and make it harder for businesses, particularly small businesses, to secure legal advice on complex labor law matters.