WASHINGTON, D.C. – Rep. Chris Smith is New Jersey’s last Republican congressman and a long-time supporter of labor unions.
Smith (R, NJ-04) is also a new co-sponsor of H.R. 2474, the “Protecting the Right to Organize Act,” legislation which critics point out would end the ‘right to work’ movement in twenty-eight U.S. states as well as enact a variety of additional rules and regulations which empower unions at the expense of employers.
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The PRO Act has been described as a ‘wish list’ for Big Labor. It received a committee mark-up back at the end of September.
The bill’s long list of co-sponsors is compromised entirely of Democrats except for Smith and Pennsylvania Republican Brian Fitzpatrick, both of whom signed up as co-sponsors recently on October 18th.
“Instead of fostering an environment of mutually beneficial relationships between employers, workers, and labor unions, H.R. 2474 would undermine the choice and dignity of individual workers while granting unequal privileges to labor unions,” AFP Chief Government Affairs Officer Brent Gardner wrote to House Education and Labor Committee leaders.
“Right to work” laws – long a bane of labor – allow employees to work in a unionized workplace without being forced to join a union. Notwithstanding special interest hostility, right to work laws have proven extremely popular with employees.
Despite the likelihood of House passage, the legislation is considered dead-on-arrival in the GOP-controlled U.S. Senate.
Smith is expected to be challenged by a former intern in 2020 but the Central Jersey district is R+8 on the Cook PVI and likely to stay in the GOP column.
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