MLB, NBA, NFL and NHL players groups voice support for pro-union bill

Players associations representing members of the MLB, NBA, NFL and NHL came out Tuesday in support of Protect the Right to Organize (PRO) Act, a sweeping pro-union bill.

The groups said in a joint statement that MLB, NBA, NFL and NHL players have experienced “first-hand the benefits a union can bring” and urged Congress to pass the bill. 

“Now is the time to overcome decades of increasing obstacles to working people who choose to exercise their right to organize a union and bargain collectively,” the groups said.

The MLBPA, @TheNBPA, @NFLPA and @NHLPA today issued the following statement urging swift passage of the #PROAct #1U: pic.twitter.com/ZrWCe4861c

— MLB Players (@MLB_PLAYERS) May 4, 2021

The PRO Act passed the House in a mostly party-line vote in March. The legislation, which is the top priority of labor unions and progressives, remains stalled in the Senate.

President Biden also supports the legislation, which aims to overhaul the nation’s labor laws. He called for Congress to pass it during his first address before a joint session of Congress last week.

The bill would stiffen penalties for employers who violate workers’ rights and strengthen protections for employees against retaliation, among other provisions.

Opponents of the legislation, including the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, the International Franchise Association, and the National Restaurant Association, argue it would hurt workers like independent contractors and force many small businesses to close.

Updated at 6:21 p.m.