WASHINGTON, March 8—Associated Builders and Contractors President and CEO Michael Bellaman today released the following statement strongly opposing the Protecting the Right to Organize Act (H.R. 842). The U.S. House of Representatives is expected to vote on the PRO Act this week.

“It is an absolute shame that House Democrats would vote to strip workers of their privacy, freedom and choice. The devastating consequences of the PRO Act and its dozens of radical provisions could force thousands of small businesses to permanently close and lay off employees. In fact, hundreds of thousands of Americans could lose their jobs and vital employee rights if the PRO Act becomes law. The PRO Act is incredibly short-sighted, especially given growing concerns regarding privacy and protecting personal information, and under this legislation, the 87% of construction workers who choose not to join a union could be forced to pay union dues as a condition of employment.

“While the construction industry has already recovered three-quarters of the jobs lost during the COVID-19 pandemic, contractors need to hire hundreds of thousands of workers in 2021 just to keep up with the demand for construction services. If the PRO Act becomes law, it will limit the ability for the construction industry to bring back or hire those professionals. In a time of economic recovery, lawmakers should be working collaboratively and productively on legislation that will help our employees achieve their career dreams. The PRO Act is the farthest cry from the solution that our economy, businesses and workers need.”