Sen. Murray, Sec. Walsh Hear from Washington state Union Workers, Push for PRO Act and Workers First Economy
Senator Murray: “We need to protect every single worker’s right to form and join a union and bargain collectively—and that’s exactly what the PRO Act will help do.”
***PHOTOS OF THE EVENT HERE***
(Washington, D.C.) – Today, U.S. Senator Patty Murray (D-WA), Chair of the Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions (HELP) Committee, joined U.S. Secretary of Labor Marty Walsh, U.S. Representative Pramila Jayapal, and union workers for a roundtable in Seattle discussing the importance of protecting workers’ right to join and form a union by passing the PRO Act, comprehensive legislation introduced and led by Senator Murray to strengthen our labor laws and workers’ ability to join together to bargain for higher wages, better benefits, and safer workplaces.
“Workers are what keep our communities going, they’re the force behind our economic growth, and they deserve their fair share of the wealth they help create. It’s really as simple as that,” said Senator Murray. “But right now—despite the record recovery we’re seeing—our economy is still benefiting the wealthiest and the largest corporations, leaving too many workers behind.”
“But here’s the thing: it doesn’t have to be this way,” continued Senator Murray. “Unions give workers a powerful voice to demand better—to demand a fair share of the economic growth they help drive, and demand fairer wages, safer workplaces, better benefits, a secure retirement, and so much more. We need to protect every single worker’s right to form and join a union and bargain collectively—and that’s exactly what the PRO Act will help do.”
“President Biden has been clear: workers have the right to collectively bargain for better wages, benefits, and working conditions,” said Secretary Walsh. “This administration continues to encourage Congress to pass the Protecting the Right to Organize Act to help restore balance to our current labor laws and provide workers a voice in the workplace.”
Senator Murray, Secretary Walsh, and Representative Jayapal were joined by: Jon Holden, President of IAM 751; Monty Anderson, Executive Secretary of the Seattle Building & Construction Trades Council; Patti Bailey, Early Learning Director of SEIU 925; Menelabish Tale, a registered nurse at Harborview Medical Center with SEIU Healthcare 1199NW; and Joe Mizrahi, Secretary-Treasurer of UCFW 3000.
During the roundtable, Senator Murray heard directly from union workers on the critical role unions play in creating an economy that works for everyone—not just CEOs and huge corporations. Senator Murray discussed the need to strengthen our labor laws to protect workers’ right to bargain collectively and reverse decades of attacks on their rights.
Senator Murray also discussed important progress made during this Congress like her work to author strong worker protections in the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law to ensure it will create good-paying, union jobs in Washington state. Senator Murray also highlighted the ways she is fighting to support workers in every way possible—discussing her child care proposal to lower costs and raise wages for early childhood educators, and her ongoing efforts to support and strengthen a fatigued health care workforce.
Throughout her career, Senator Murray has championed workers’ rights and fought to protect their right to join and form a union in order to stand together and demand their fair share of the economic growth they help drive. A former union member herself, Senator Murray has led the charge in Congress to pass the PRO Act—comprehensive legislation to protect workers’ right to negotiate for fairer wages, better benefits, and safer workplaces. Senator Murray introduced the legislation last year, held a hearing urging action to protect workers’ right to organize, and has worked the phones and knocked on her colleagues’ doors to build a groundswell of support for the bill.
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