Owens Rejects Pro-Union Boss, Anti-Worker Legislation

WASHINGTON, D.C. — U.S. Rep. Burgess Owens (UT-04) released the following statement in opposition to H.R. 842, The “Protecting the Right to Organize” Act, a sweeping piece of legislation that will harm workers, discourage business, and aid union bosses.

“The PRO Act, while deceptively claiming to be pro-worker, seeks to fundamentally re-engineer American labor regulations by overturning right-to-work laws, forcing one-size-fits-all union contracts, and prioritizing union bosses over employees. No wonder House Democrats are rushing this legislation through without a single committee hearing or markup. I will be voting no on this pro-union, anti-worker, and anti-business bill.”

Background on H.R. 842:

• Bans right-to-work laws in 27 states, including Utah.
• Under this legislation, all workers in a union shop would be required to pay union dues, including those who object to the union and wish to represent themselves.
• Requires employers to hand over workers’ private information to union organizers, including home addresses, cellphone and landline numbers, personal email addresses – without the consent of workers.
• Denies a secret ballot in union elections.
• Research from the American Action Forum found employers could face more than $47 BILLION in new annual costs if the PRO Act becomes law, further jeopardizing the economic recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic.

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