The House on Thursday passed an ambitious bill, 224-194,to expand union power, signaling to Midwestern presidential battleground states an emphatic re-commitment by Democrats to organized labor. The bill was endorsed by most of the top Democratic presidential candidates. Although its co-sponsors also include three House Republicans, the bill is unlikely to clear the Republican-controlled Senate.
Among its many proposed changes, the PRO Act would allow employees to form unions under certain circumstances through “card check” (that is, through the informal collection of authorization forms from a majority within the bargaining unit), especially in cases where employer interference is suspected. The bill would also grant the National Labor Relations Board power to levy punitive fines on employers that violate labor law. Right now, the NLRB can collect only back pay.
Article submitted by, Great Gazoo.
