Bill > HR2474

Introduced Session

Protecting the Right to Organize Act of 2019 Protecting the Right to Organize Act of 2019 This bill expands various labor protections related to employees' rights to organize and collectively bargain in the workplace. Specifically, it revises the definition of employee, supervisor, and employer to broaden the scope of individuals covered by the fair labor standards; permits a labor organization to encourage participation of union members in strikes initiated by employees represented by a different labor organization (i.e., secondary strikes); terminates the right of employers to bring claims against unions that conduct such secondary strikes; permits the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) to conduct economic analysis; allows collective-bargaining agreements to require all employees represented by the bargaining unit to contribute fees to the labor organization for the cost of such representation, notwithstanding a state law to the contrary; expands unfair labor practices to include prohibitions against replacement of, or discrimination against, workers who participate in strikes; makes it an unfair labor practice to require or coerce employees to attend employer meetings designed to discourage union membership; prohibits employers from entering into agreements with employees under which employees waive the right to pursue or a join collective or class-action litigation; and requires the NLRB to promulgate rules requiring employers to post notices of employees' labor rights and protections and establishes penalties for failing to comply with such requirement. The bill also addresses the procedures for union representation elections. Among other changes, the bill prohibits employers from participating in any NLRB representation proceedings, requires employers to provide a list of voters to the labor organization seeking to represent the bargaining unit in an NLRB-directed election, compels employers to bargain with a labor organization that has received a majority of valid votes for representation in an NLRB-directed election, and provides statutory authority for the requirement that the NLRB must set preelection hearings to begin not later than 8 days after notifying the labor organization of such a petition and set postelection hearings to begin not later than 14 days after an objection to a decision has been filed. The bill modifies the protections against unfair labor practices that result in serious economic harm such as the discharge of an employee. Specifically, the bill removes current limits on a court's ability to provide temporary injunctive relief upon a petition by the NLRB; expands the available remedies for employees subject to such harms to include two times the amount of actual damages (e.g., back pay), consequential damages; and punitive damages; and establishes a civil penalty in addition to any damage awards. The bill further prohibits employers from taking adverse actions against an employee, including employees with management responsibilities, in response to that employee participating in protected activities related to the enforcement of the prohibitions against unfair labor practices (i.e., whistleblower protections). Such protected activities include providing information about a potential violation to an enforcement agency, participating in an enforcement proceeding, initiating a proceeding concerning an alleged violation or assisting in such a proceeding, or refusing to participate in an activity the employee reasonably believes is a violation of labor laws. The bill also specifies procedures for adjudicating complaints, including, filing requirements, criteria for making determinations of violations, types of available relief, evidentiary guidelines, and judicial review of NLRB determinations. The bill generally establishes penalties and permits injunctive relief against entities that fail to comply with NLRB orders and creates a private right of action for employees to bring claims against employers interfering with employees' rights to organize or join a labor organization. Additionally, the bill modifies the reporting requirements for employers engaged in arrangements with third-parties to persuade employees not to organize. Specifically, the bill narrows the scope of the exemption for arrangements that are considered legal advice or representation. The Government Accountability Office must analyze and report on comparative collective-bargaining practices in countries outside the United States.

AI Summary

Committee Categories

Bobby Scott (D)*,  Alma Adams (D),  Pete Aguilar (D),  Cindy Axne (D),  Nanette Barragán (D),  Karen Bass (D),  Joyce Beatty (D),  Don Beyer (D),  Sanford Bishop (D),  Earl Blumenauer (D),  Lisa Blunt Rochester (D),  Suzanne Bonamici (D),  Brendan Boyle (D),  Anthony Brindisi (D),  Anthony Brown (D),  Julia Brownley (D),  Cheri Bustos (D),  G. Butterfield (D),  Salud Carbajal (D),  Tony Cárdenas (D),  André Carson (D),  Matt Cartwright (D),  Sean Casten (D),  Kathy Castor (D),  Joaquin Castro (D),  Judy Chu (D),  David Cicilline (D),  Gil Cisneros (D),  Katherine Clark (D),  Yvette Clarke (D),  Lacy Clay (D),  Emanuel Cleaver (D),  Steve Cohen (D),  Gerry Connolly (D),  Jim Cooper (D),  Joe Courtney (D),  TJ Cox (D),  Angie Craig (D),  Charlie Crist (D),  Jason Crow (D),  Elijah Cummings (D),  Sharice Davids (D),  Danny Davis (D),  Susan Davis (D),  Madeleine Dean (D),  Peter DeFazio (D),  Diana DeGette (D),  Rosa DeLauro (D),  Suzan DelBene (D),  Antonio Delgado (D),  Val Demings (D),  Mark DeSaulnier (D),  Theodore Deutch (D),  Debbie Dingell (D),  Lloyd Doggett (D),  Michael Doyle (D),  Eliot Engel (D),  Veronica Escobar (D),  Anna Eshoo (D),  Adriano Espaillat (D),  Dwight Evans (D),  Abby Finkenauer (D),  Brian Fitzpatrick (R),  Bill Foster (D),  Lois Frankel (D),  Marcia Fudge (D),  Tulsi Gabbard (D),  Ruben Gallego (D),  John Garamendi (D),  Sylvia Garcia (D),  Chuy García (D),  Jared Golden (D),  Jimmy Gomez (D),  Vicente Gonzalez (D),  Josh Gottheimer (D),  Al Green (D),  Raúl Grijalva (D),  Debra Haaland (D),  Josh Harder (D),  Alcee Hastings (D),  Jahana Hayes (D),  Denny Heck (D),  Brian Higgins (D),  Katie Hill (D),  Jim Himes (D),  Steven Horsford (D),  Chrissy Houlahan (D),  Steny Hoyer (D),  Jared Huffman (D),  Sheila Jackson-Lee (D),  Pramila Jayapal (D),  Hakeem Jeffries (D),  Eddie Johnson (D),  Hank Johnson (D),  Marcy Kaptur (D),  Bill Keating (D),  Robin Kelly (D),  Joseph Kennedy (D),  Ro Khanna (D),  Dan Kildee (D),  Derek Kilmer (D),  Andy Kim (D),  Ron Kind (D),  Ann Kirkpatrick (D),  Raja Krishnamoorthi (D),  Ann Kuster (D),  Conor Lamb (D),  James Langevin (D),  Rick Larsen (D),  John Larson (D),  Brenda Lawrence (D),  Al Lawson (D),  Barbara Lee (D),  Andy Levin (D),  Mike Levin (D),  John Lewis (D),  Ted Lieu (D),  Daniel Lipinski (D),  David Loebsack (D),  Zoe Lofgren (D),  Alan Lowenthal (D),  Nita Lowey (D),  Ben Ray Luján (D),  Elaine Luria (D),  Stephen Lynch (D),  Tom Malinowski (D),  Carolyn Maloney (D),  Sean Maloney (D),  Doris Matsui (D),  Betty McCollum (D),  Donald McEachin (D),  Jim McGovern (D),  Jerry McNerney (D),  Gregory Meeks (D),  Grace Meng (D),  Gwen Moore (D),  Joe Morelle (D),  Seth Moulton (D),  Debbie Mucarsel-Powell (D),  Jerry Nadler (D),  Grace Napolitano (D),  Richard Neal (D),  Joe Neguse (D),  Donald Norcross (D),  Eleanor Holmes Norton (D),  Tom O'Halleran (D),  Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D),  Ilhan Omar (D),  Frank Pallone (D),  Jimmy Panetta (D),  Chris Pappas (D),  Bill Pascrell (D),  Donald Payne (D),  Ed Perlmutter (D),  Collin Peterson (D),  Chellie Pingree (D),  Mark Pocan (D),  Katie Porter (D),  Ayanna Pressley (D),  David Price (D),  Mike Quigley (D),  Jamie Raskin (D),  Kathleen Rice (D),  Cedric Richmond (D),  Max Rose (D),  Lucille Roybal-Allard (D),  Raul Ruiz (D),  Dutch Ruppersberger (D),  Bobby Rush (D),  Tim Ryan (D),  Kilili Sablan (D),  Linda Sánchez (D),  John Sarbanes (D),  Mary Gay Scanlon (D),  Jan Schakowsky (D),  Adam Schiff (D),  Brad Schneider (D),  Kim Schrier (D),  David Scott (D),  José Serrano (D),  Terri Sewell (D),  Donna Shalala (D),  Brad Sherman (D),  Mikie Sherrill (D),  Albio Sires (D),  Elissa Slotkin (D),  Adam Smith (D),  Chris Smith (R),  Darren Soto (D),  Abigail Spanberger (D),  Jackie Speier (D),  Greg Stanton (D),  Haley Stevens (D),  Tom Suozzi (D),  Eric Swalwell (D),  Mark Takano (D),  Bennie Thompson (D),  Mike Thompson (D),  Dina Titus (D),  Rashida Tlaib (D),  Paul Tonko (D),  Norma Torres (D),  Lori Trahan (D),  David Trone (D),  Lauren Underwood (D),  Jeff Van Drew (R),  Juan Vargas (D),  Marc Veasey (D),  Filemón Vela (D),  Nydia Velázquez (D),  Peter Visclosky (D),  Debbie Wasserman Schultz (D),  Maxine Waters (D),  Bonnie Watson Coleman (D),  Peter Welch (D),  Jennifer Wexton (D),  Susan Wild (D),  Frederica Wilson (D),  John Yarmuth (D), 

Received in the Senate and Read twice and referred to the Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions. (on 02/10/2020)

Official Document