REP. SYLVIA GARCIA VOTES TO PROTECT A WORKER'S RIGHT TO JOIN A LABOR UNION

WASHINGTON, DC — This evening, Congresswoman Sylvia Garcia (TX-29) was proud to vote in favor of H.R. 2474, the Protecting the Right to Organize (PRO) Act of 2019, a landmark piece of legislation that would protect the rights of working Americans to join a union and stand up for their rights in the workplace. The PRO Act protects America's workers by:

• Introducing meaningful, enforceable penalties for companies and executives that violate workers' rights;
• Expanding workers' collective bargaining rights and closing loopholes that corporations use to exploit workers; and
• Strengthening workers' access to fair union elections and requiring corporations to respect the results.

From 1980 to 2014, wages for the bottom half of income earners grew by one percent, while wages for the top one percent of earners grew by 205 percent. This inequality, stagnation, and instability for so many is not a natural product of a functioning economy, it is the result of policy choices that have stripped workers of the power to stand together and bargain for better wages, benefits, and working conditions. The PRO Act is a critical step toward rebalancing the playing field in favor of working Americans.

Congresswoman Sylvia Garcia (D-TX) Statement:

"I am a proud to have voted in favor of the PRO Act because for far too long American corporations have found ways to get around labor laws at the expense of working people," said Congresswoman Garcia. "When workers are able unionize and stand up for their rights, they secure fairer wages, benefits, and legal protections. Unions fight for the dignity and respect of working people and that is why the Senate must now act on this bill that would ensure that workers are free to organize unions without employer interference," concluded Congresswoman Garcia.

Click here for the full text: Protecting the Right to Organize Act Text.pdf

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Congresswoman Sylvia R. Garcia was elected to the U.S. House of Representatives in November 2018, becoming the first Latina ever to represent Texas 29th Congressional district.