Support "The COVID-19 Pandemic: Justice. Healing. Courage" 

2021 Action of Immediate Witness

Show Solidarity for Labor!

Protect the Right to Organize with the ProAct!

In June 2021, UUs Passed "The COVID-19 Pandemic: Justice. Healing. Courage" Action of Immediate Witness. In alignment and support of UUJEC's efforts on that topic, UUs are urged to support the PoAct (S.420/HR.842) as a measure that helps nudge our economy towards being centered on people, as a pro-labor measure, rather than solely corporate needs.

Americans have always joined together—whether in parent-teacher associations or local community organizations—to solve problems and make changes that improve their lives and their communities. Through unions, people join together to strive for improvements at the place where they spend a large portion of their waking hours: work.

117th Congress - Senate S.420  - House HR.842 (passed 03/09/21)

The PRO Act will make it easier for working people to bargain together and win good contracts because it will:

• Empower workers to exercise their freedom to organize and bargain. 
• Repeal “right to work” laws.
• Ensure that workers can reach a first contract quickly after a union is recognized.
• End employers’ practice of punishing striking workers by hiring permanent replacements. (Speaking up for labor rights is within every worker’s rights—and workers shouldn’t lose their jobs for it.)
• Hold corporations accountable by strengthening the National Labor Relations Board and allowing it to penalize employers who retaliate against working people in support of the union or collective bargaining.
• Create pathways for workers to form unions, without fear, in newer industries like Big Tech.

Unions are a dynamic and ever-evolving institution of the American economy. They exist to give working people a voice and leverage over their working conditions and the economic policy decisions that shape these conditions.

Giving workers a real voice and leverage is essential for democracy, and for an inclusive democracy. While unions historically have not been able to match corporate political donations dollar for dollar, working people organizing together in unions play an equalizing role because they can motivate members to give their time and effort to policy and issue causes. For example, one study found that unions are very effective at getting people to the polls—especially increasing voting among those with only a high school education.