Thread by @dorianwarren

Yesterday, @POTUS urged Congress to pass the #PROAct. Let’s talk about why unionizing is important for a caring economy and how this bill would dramatically expand worker rights:

Worker wages have been stagnant for decades while average incomes for the wealthiest 1% increased more than 184%!!! from 1980 to 2017. Mass inequality doesn’t just happen. It’s the result of deliberate policy choices to strip worker power in favor of keeping CEOs ultra-rich.

Unions are critical to workers’ ability to negotiate decent wages, benefits, and working conditions. They’re also effective tools against big businesses’ racist divide-and-conquer tactics. And they can help shrink the income gap between white, Black and brown workers.

But corporations have used their power to roll back labor laws and erode union membership. A few recent examples:
"Right to Work" Laws: truthout.org/articles/right…

Epic Systems v. Lewis: slate.com/news-and-polit…

Janus v. AFSCME: theguardian.com/commentisfree/…

Now on to the PRO Act -- Here’s what it would do to bring back and strengthen federal laws that protect a worker’s right to unionize:

-Puts a financial penalty on companies that violate workers rights and allows private + class action lawsuits against them
-Overrides “right to work” laws are really “right to work for less” laws that undermine unions’ ability to collectively bargain and represent all workers.

-Protects workers 1st Amendment rights to strike, including striking in solidarity with other workers.
-Prevents workers from being denied rights based on immigration status
-Makes sure employers can’t interfere with union elections + ensures a first-contract with new unions

A strong union and a contract is the first line of defense against this kind of abuse countless women have experienced. Workers gain power when they band together to win and defend their rights. time.com/5942117/mother…

Of course, a union is no replacement for economic rights that belong to ALL workers. That’s why we’ll fight for a national paid leave program. But they can ensure employers play by the rules or face recourse when they don’t. So thank you Biden for pushing Congress on the PRO Act.