FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Katie Barrows
Communications Manager
P: 202-549-5991
kbarrows@dpeaflcio.org

WASHINGTON, March 9, 2021 - The Department for Professional Employees (DPE) President Jennifer Dorning released the following statement after the U.S. House of Representatives passed the Protecting the Right to Organize Act of 2021 (H.R. 842) today:

“We commend the House of Representatives for passing the Protecting the Right to Organize (PRO) Act. The bill’s bipartisan passage in the House is an important step towards rebalancing the power of professionals and other employees in the workplace. 

Far too often, labor laws that should protect working people actually favor employers and pose an obstacle to forming unions. In fact, while a majority of professionals want to join unions, most have been unable to do so. Despite the fact that a majority of professionals want to join unions, union membership remains relatively low. Current labor laws can create unnecessary barriers to forming new unions, and provide limited protections for professionals working to organize. Additionally, the consequences for breaking the law are not strong enough to dissuade employers from violating current labor law. The PRO Act will fix these and other problems to help unstack the deck against workers. 

Unions are essential to ensure professionals earn the fair pay and benefits they deserve. When professionals join together in union they have power in their workplaces to make tangible improvements. Not only are fair wages and benefits essential, but as our nation grapples with inequities and racism, we know that unions are part of the solution to help create more diverse, equitable, and inclusive workplaces. 

For too long, professionals wanting to join together in union to improve their workplaces have had to confront a broken labor law. Today is a crucial step toward making the PRO Act the law of the land.” 

About DPE

The Department for Professional Employees, AFL-CIO (DPE) is a coalition of 24 unions representing over four million professional and technical union members. DPE affiliate unions represent professionals in over 300 occupations in education and healthcare; science, engineering, and technology; legal, business, and management; media, entertainment, and the arts; and public administration.