The Trump campaign sent JD Vance to Western Pennsylvania to explain to workers why they do not need workers’ rights like the PRO Act.
Vance said in Johnstown, PA:
You asked about the PRO Act. Now here, here’s the problem with the PRO Act is in some ways it doubles down on a lot of the failed things that we’ve done. Instead of looking at American labor policy as something that’s going to be better for the 21st century than it was in the 20th century. If you actually, and look, I believe in the right of workers to unionize if they choose to do so.
But private sector union participation went from about 33 percent when my papaw was a union steel worker, he was actually a welder, just like Bill. Um, 33 percent to now it’s about 7%. So we have to ask ourselves, what public policies have we enacted that have driven private sector union participation so low?
I don’t think we’ve doubled down on what’s, on the failed model. We’ve got to think about a new model.
Video:
Vance: The problem with the PRO Act is in some ways it doubles down on a lot of the failed things that weâve done pic.twitter.com/QRwT7TkRHN
â Acyn (@Acyn) October 12, 2024
There are a few details that JD Vance left out. Since the Reagan presidency, Republicans have tirelessly worked to dismantle the labor protects that allowed his grandfather to hold a good union job. The PRO Act would restore and expand labor protections to make it easier for people to organize and join a union.
JD Vance came to Western Pennsylvania and told people that they need a different approach than having rights as employees. That different way that Vance referred to was to shred the rest of the nation’s labor laws.
The best thing that Pennsylvania voters could do would be to reject the Trump-Vance anti-worker agenda.
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Awards and Professional Memberships
Member of the Society of Professional Journalists and The American Political Science Association
