ICYMI: Murray, Hirono, Norcross Introduce Legislation to Strengthen Rights of Public Sector Workers to Join Unions, Bargain Collectively
Washington, D.C. — Today, U.S. Senator Patty Murray (D-WA), a former chair and senior member of the Senate Health, Education, Laborand Pensions (HELP) Committee, joined Senators Mark Warner (D-VA), Chris Van Hollen (D-MD), Chuck Schumer (D-NY), Brian Schatz (D-HI), Alex Padilla (D-CA), Angela Alsobrooks (D-MD), and Tim Kaine (D-VA) in introducing the Protect America’s Workforce Act—bipartisan legislation to repeal two union-busting executive orders and restore collective bargaining rights and workplace protections for federal workers.
“Unions give workers a powerful voice to demand fair pay, safer working conditions, and better benefits,” said Senator Murray. “I have always fought to protect the right to unionize—and as President Trump continues to undermine workers’ ability to bargain collectively and indiscriminately fire tens of thousands of hardworking federal employees, it is critical that we do everything we can to fight back and safeguard workers’ rights across the country. The Protect America’s Workforce Act is an important step toward protecting our nation’s federal workers against the retaliatory tactics and illegal firings that we have seen from this administration.”
This legislation comes in response to two executive orders issued earlier this year by President Trump. These executive orders revoked collective bargaining rights for a majority of federal employees under a false national security pretext. While federal employee unions do not negotiate pay or benefits, collective bargaining agreements do protect federal employees from retaliation, discrimination, and illegal firings, while promoting resources for whistleblowers and veterans.
The Civil Service Reform Act of 1978 (CSRA) grants the president authority to limit collective bargaining agreements when there is a national security concern. President Trump’s executive orders, however, sought to take advantage of the CSRA by inappropriately classifying two-thirds of the federal workforce as having national security missions in order to claim the authority needed to cancel valid union contracts.
Senator Murray has been a leading champion of workers’ rights and the right to organize throughout her Senate career, including while serving as the top Democrat on the Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions (HELP) Committee from 2015-2022. Senator Murray helped author and introduce the Protecting the Right to Organize (PRO) Act in the 116th Congress, and she’s helped reintroduce the legislation in every successive Congress, including most recently this past May. The PRO Act is comprehensive legislation to protect workers’ right to come together and bargain for fairer wages, better benefits, and safer workplaces. Among many other pieces of pro-worker legislation, Murray also leads the Wage Theft Prevention and Wage Recovery Act, the Paycheck Fairness Act to combat wage discrimination and help close the pay gap, and has helped lead the fight for paid family and medical leave since she first joined Congress. Senator Murray has spoken out repeatedly on the Senate floor and in countless press conferences and events against the Trump administration’s attacks on federal workers, including this administration’s unprecedented union-busting.
The Protect America’s Workforce Act has the support of the AFL-CIO, Actors’ Equity Association, Alliance for Retired Americans, American Federation of Government Employees (AFGE), American Federation of Musicians, American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees (AFSCME), American Federation of Teachers (AFT), Communications Workers of America (CWA), Department for Professional Employees, AFL-CIO (DPE), Federal Education Association, International Association of Machinists & Aerospace Workers (IAM), International Federation of Professional and Technical Engineers (IFPTE), International Organization of Masters, Mates & Pilots, LIUNA – the Laborers’ International Union of North America, National Education Association, National Federation of Federal Employees (NFFE-IAM), National Nurses United, National Postal Mail Handlers Union (NPMHU), National Treasury Employees Union (NTEU), Seafarers International Union, Service Employees International Union (SEIU), Transportation Trades Department, AFL-CIO (TTD), United Association of Plumbers and Pipefitters, United Auto Workers (UAW), United Mine Workers of America (UMWA), and United Steelworkers (USW).
In addition to Senators Murray, Warner, Van Hollen, Schumer, Schatz, Padilla, Alsobrooks, and Kaine, the legislation was also cosponsored by Senators Lisa Murkowski (R-AK), Tammy Baldwin (D-WI), Michael Bennet (D-CO), Richard Blumenthal (D-CT), Lisa Blunt Rochester (D-DE), Cory Booker (D-NJ), Maria Cantwell (D-WA), Catherine Cortez Masto (D-NV), Chris Coons (D-DE), Tammy Duckworth (D-IL), Dick Durbin (D-IL), John Fetterman (D-PA), Ruben Gallego (D-AZ), Kirsten Gillibrand (D-NY), Maggie Hassan (D-NH), Martin Heinrich (D-NM), John Hickenlooper (D-CO), Mazie Hirono (D-HI), Mark Kelly (D-AZ), Andy Kim (D-NJ), Angus King (I-ME), Amy Klobuchar (D-MN), Ben Ray Luján (D-NM), Ed Markey (D-MA), Jeff Merkley (D-OR), Chris Murphy (D-CT), Jon Ossoff (D-GA), Gary Peters (D-MI), Jack Reed (D-RI), Jacky Rosen (D-NV), Bernie Sanders (I-VT), Adam Schiff (D-CA), Jeanne Shaheen (D-NH), Elissa Slotkin (D-MI), Tina Smith (D-MN), Raphael Warnock (D-GA), Elizabeth Warren (D-MA), Peter Welch (D-VT), Sheldon Whitehouse (D-RI), and Ron Wyden (D-OR).
The full text of the bill can be found HERE.
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