House to Vote on Sweeping Labor Bill in Coming Weeks: Hoyer

The House will vote before President’s Day on an expansive labor bill that includes a wish list of union priorities, Majority Leader Steny Hoyer (D-Md.) said Jan. 9.

The Protecting the Right to Organize Act (H.R. 2474) would amend federal workplace laws to bolster a wide range of legal protections on the job. It also would crack down on the classification of workers as independent contractors, among a slew of moves likely to create new unionizing opportunities for labor organizations.

“House Democrats are proud to stand shoulder-to-shoulder with working men and women across the country,” Hoyer said in a tweet. “I look forward to bringing the PRO Act to the House Floor for a vote prior to the President’s Day district work period to protect the right to organize and bargain collectively.”

Hoyer’s announcement comes hours after 68 Democrats submitted a letter to House Speaker Nancy Pelosi demanding a vote on the bill.

The PRO Act, which has 218 co-sponsors, looks to have enough support in the House to pass the chamber this year. The bill is dead on arrival in the Senate, but for many business and labor groups that doesn’t matter.

A vote for or against the bill would put elected officials on record about where they stand on major labor issues ahead of the 2020 elections, labor leaders have said. The PRO Act is likely to serve as a labor litmus test for 2020 candidates—and it’s already become an issue in one primary race in Texas.