On the recordMarch 9, 2021
I thank my friend, the ranking member on the committee, for yielding. Mr. Speaker, I rise in opposition to the PRO Act of 2021. Out of many features that would hurt employees and economic growth in Arkansas in this bill is a hostile practice banned by the National Labor Relations Act of 1959. This bill fully resurrects it. Yet, these unfair practices continued post-1959 in the construction industry. For example, Mr. Speaker, in 2004 the Eighth Circuit heard a hot cargo agreement case. In exchange for a no-strike pledge, a construction firm agreed to perform the work and agreed it would hire union workers, but they hired a subcontractor, who, while they didn't sign the agreement, agreed to use union labor anyway. They went on strike, Mr. Speaker, even though they hired union workers. This is the kind of unfair approach that does not deserve to be enshrined in this bill. As a result, the contractor received a cease and desist demand and workers lost the opportunity to work. I tried to amend this bill to remove this hot cargo bad idea, but the amendment was rejected by House Democrats. This is an example of how this party wants to go back to 1959 and instill this for all workers across our Nation. We need to oppose this bill.
