{"database": "press", "table": "releases", "rows": [["https://magaziner.house.gov/media/press-releases/joined-local-labor-leaders-magaziner-calls-passage-pro-act-strengthen-unions", "Joined by Local Labor Leaders, Magaziner Calls for Passage of the PRO Act to Strengthen Unions and Rebuild the Middle Class", "2023-03-16", "2023", "2023-03", "Democrat", "House", "RI", "Seth Magaziner", "M001223", "magaziner.house.gov", "magaziner", "https://magaziner.house.gov/media/press-releases", "scraper", "Magaziner spoke in front of a local Starbucks to highlight the company\u2019s recent history of anti-union practices\n\nWarwick, R.I. \u2013 Today, Representative Seth Magaziner (RI-02) joined Rhode Island labor leaders and a former Starbucks employees to call for the immediate passage of the PRO Act, a comprehensive proposal to protect the rights of workers, which will rebuild the middle class, improve the lives of workers and their families, and create an economy where everyone can succeed.\n\nMagaziner was joined at the press conference by George Nee and Patrick Crowley from the RI AFL-CIO, as well as former Starbucks employee Cassie Burke, who reiterated Magaziner\u2019s call to pass the PRO Act and highlighted Starbucks\u2019 recent history of illegal union-busting actions.\n\n\u201cThe right to form a union is one of the most fundamental rights afforded to all workers,\u201d said Rep. Magaziner. \u201cHistory has proven that when workers band together to collectively bargain, they secure higher wages, better benefits, and safer working conditions. As unions have come under attack from wealthy special interests, big multinational corporations, and their well-funded lobbyists, all workers \u2013 including non-union workers \u2013 have paid the price. That\u2019s why I\u2019m fighting so hard to pass the bipartisan PRO Act in Congress.\u201d\n\nIn the 1950\u2019s, approximately 33% of American workers were part of a union. In the face of increased union-busting tactics over the past 50 years, the rate of union membership has declined to 10.1% of all workers.\n\nAt the same time, the average wages of middle and lower income earners have remained stagnant, while corporate profits have grown. From 1973 to 2013, hourly compensation of a typical worker rose just 9% while productivity increased 74%. Between 1979 and 2013, the median hourly wages of middle-wage workers rose just 6% \u2014 and low wage workers fell by 5%. During the same time period, hourly wages of high-wage workers rose 41%.\n\nImage\n\nImage\n\nImage\n\nImage\n\n\u201cIf we want a better country, we should have a stronger labor movement. Unions are the mechanism to make sure that workers are treated fairly on the job, have good health and safety protections, rising incomes, good benefits, and retirement security,\u201d said George Nee, AFL-CIO President. \u201cWe have to create a level playing field. If we do that, unions will grow and we will have a better country.\u201d\n\n\u201cWhen unions have a level playing field, we will fight for the working class, raise peoples\u2019 wages, bring them up into the middle class, and make sure that the rights enshrined in the United States Constitution don\u2019t just stop at the factory gate,\u201d said Patrick Crowley, AFL-CIO Secretary-Treasurer. \u201cIt\u2019s the unions that fight for that, which is why I\u2019m so proud to stand with Congressman Magaziner to advocate for the PRO Act, because we\u2019ve got to get this law passed.\u201d\n\n\"To me unionization was always an act of self-defense... you can see plain as day how Starbucks was treating union workers, you know you could be treated the same way in an instant, if they feel it is profitable, said Cassandra Burke, a former Starbucks organizer and employee. \"Starbucks\u2019 pushback against unionization highlights the need for increased labor protections. The PRO Act will protect our right to form and join unions. The PRO Act would make it harder for companies to interfere in workers\u2019 union elections. And give us better tools to hold companies like Starbucks accountable when they violate labor laws.\"\n\nThe PRO Act will empower workers to organize by preventing retaliation against those exercising their right to join a union, allowing workers to override so-called \u201cRight to Work\u201d laws that prevent unions from collecting dues from workers they represent, and establishing a private right of action for workers whose rights have been violated. The PRO Act will also establish safeguards to ensure that workers can hold free, fair, and safe union elections, prevent employers from interfering in elections, and require employers to inform workers of their rights under the National Labor Relations Act.\n\nEarlier this month, a New York judge ruled that Starbucks had violated federal labor law \u201chundreds of times\u201d during the course of a unionization drive in Buffalo. According to the National Labor Relations Board, 512 unfair labor practice charges have been filed against Starbucks over the last four years.\n\nLast month, Rep. Magaziner signed on as an original sponsor of the PRO Act along with lead sponsor Rep. Bobby Scott (VA-03).", 1, "2026-03-30T01:40:41Z", "2026-04-07T23:30:02Z"]], "columns": ["url", "title", "date", "year", "month", "party", "chamber", "state", "member_name", "bioguide_id", "domain", "scraper", "source", "date_source", "text", "has_text", "collected_at", "updated_at"], "primary_keys": ["url"], "primary_key_values": ["https://magaziner.house.gov/media/press-releases/joined-local-labor-leaders-magaziner-calls-passage-pro-act-strengthen-unions"], "units": {}, "query_ms": 0.7337210699915886, "source": "dwillis/congress-press", "source_url": "https://github.com/dwillis/congress-press", "license": "MIT", "license_url": "https://github.com/dwillis/congress-press/blob/main/LICENSE"}