At the Capitol in Madison on Monday, advocates for organized labor urged U.S. Senate passage of a bill that would repeal right-to-work laws in all states.
Stephanie Bloomingdale is President of the Wisconsin State AFL-CIO. “We are happy that Tammy Baldwin has been a sponsor and a co-sponsor from the very beginning of the Pro Act. But U.S. Senator Ron Johnson has still refused to meet with the Wisconsin AFL-CIO, or anyone else in labor, in terms of talking about the PRO Act,” she said.
“Human rights groups will tell you, we don’t have a right to organize and a right to free association,” said Robert Kraig, the executive director of Citizen Action of Wisconsin. “And the reason is, workers have to go through hell in order to try to organize. And that’s why there is so little successful organizing, especially against big powerful employers like Wal-Mart and like Amazon.”
Wisconsin Democrat, Senator Tammy Baldwin, is a co-sponsor of the PRO (Protecting the Right to Organize) Act, which has already passed the House.
Bill Franks chairs the Labor & Industry Committee of the NAACP of Dane County. “As we know, right to work typically means right to work for less. That hasn’t changed. Wisconsin passed a right to work law in 2015, signed by then governor Scott Walker.”
The city will pay Brown $750,000 for attorney’s fees and damages, issue a public apology and commit to updating MPD standard operating procedures with a focus on anti-racism and de-escalation.
Bill Franks, Labor & Industry Committee Chair, NAACP Dane County Branch #36AB detailing how the PRO Act will end racist Right to Work laws. “Right to Work” was created during the Jim Crow era to divide workers leading to lower wages, fewer benefits & more dangerous workplaces. pic.twitter.com/pmHIafPWro
— WI AFL-CIO (@wisaflcio) April 26, 2021
The PRO Act has already passed the House, but Senate Democrats will need 60 “yes” votes to avoid a filibuster by Republicans.