Iowa Representatives Randy Feenstra and Mariannette Miller-Meeks blasted the house’s passage of a sweeping pro-union bill. The PRO Act, or Protecting the Right to Organize (PRO) Act, would override Iowa, and any other state’s, right-to-work laws that safeguard workers from being forced to pay union dues. In addition to making union membership compulsory in many instances, the bill also includes a laundry list of longtime big union goals.
Feenstra released the following statement on the PRO Act and the repercussions that may result from its passage,
“With the so-called ‘PRO Act,’ Democrats are once again attacking workers by prioritizing the interests of union bosses. This bill would stifle the rights of hardworking Iowans by forcing them into one-size-fits-all contracts, exposing their personal information without their consent, and curbing their ability to work as independent contractors,” Said Feenstra
“What’s worse, it would repeal Iowa’s right-to-work law, meaning thousands of Iowans would be forced to use a chunk of their hard-earned paycheck to become a member of a union they don’t even want to join. Not only would it lower take-home pay, but it would also allow unions to use workers’ money to fund left-wing groups like Planned Parenthood. Any comprehensive labor reform bill should prioritize workers, but this bill prioritizes union bosses. That’s why I strongly opposed this bill,” He concluded.
Second District Congresswoman Mariannette Miller-Meeks took to the House floor and called the PRO Act unnecessary. She explained that it would violate business and worker rights. After the bill’s passage, her office released the following statement.
“Supporting workers and businesses are not mutually exclusive; we can do both at the same time. The PRO Act is an unnecessary challenge to the rights of business owners and workers alike. The bill would abolish right-to-work laws across the country, including the laws we have in Iowa, and is yet another attack on states’ rights.
If this Administration really cared about workers’ rights, it would not have canceled the Keystone XL Pipeline on day one, a move that was opposed by several major unions, including the Teamsters and AFL-CIO. Even though I have family members who were members of unions, I could not support this gift to union bosses.”
For more on the PRO Act check out: The PRO Act is Job Killing Federal Overreach – It Must Be Stopped
