Labor issues; GR personnel announcement; Amazon notes; FTC released proposed rule on non-compete clauses

PRO Act: NAW has reported repeatedly over the last several years on organized labor’s top legislative priority, the union-written and anti-worker Protecting the Right to Organize (PRO) Act. This radical bill would, among many other things, remove secret ballots from union certification elections and repeal all state right to work laws. It has been introduced in both houses of Congress several times, has previously passed the House, but has never passed the Senate.

The PRO Act has just been re-introduced in both the House and Senate. Given the GOP control of the House this Congress, it is highly unlikely that this bill will pass that chamber, despite the fact that Republican Representative Brian Fitzpatrick (R-PA) is an original cosponsor. But the Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions (HELP) Committee is now chaired by Senator Bernie Sanders (I-VT), and he has scheduled a hearing this week – ridiculously described as Defending the Right of Workers to Organize Unions Free from Illegal Corporate Union Busting – that is expected to focus on the PRO Act.