“This bill empowers small business owners and their employees to guide their own careers and support their families however they see fit.”
WASHINGTON — U.S. Senator Tommy Tuberville (R-AL) joined U.S. Senator Tim Scott and Republican colleagues in both chambers of Congress to introduce legislation this week to protect workers and support small business owners by modernizing our nation’s labor policies to match the needs of the 21st century worker and workforce. The Employee Rights Act of 2023 would promote growth and innovation by ensuring our laws protect workers rather than union bosses while letting Americans keep more of what they earn.
“This country owes every American one thing: the opportunity to make a better life,” said Senator Tuberville. “That opportunity is made possible by a good job. Jobs in our country are created by hardworking small business owners, not union bosses. Every worker has the right to decide if joining a union is the best decision for their career. And small business owners need stability and a reliable workforce. This bill empowers small business owners and their employees to guide their own careers and support their families however they see fit.”
The Employee Rights Act of 2023 would:
- Guarantee that a majority of all employees have a right to a secret paper ballot election when deciding whether to unionize
- Require unions to receive opt-in permission from each member to use his or her union dues for purposes other than collective bargaining (e.g., political support).
- Limit the amount of employee personal information a union receives during an organizing drive.
- Keep the federal definition of an “employee” in line with the common-law definition used by several state statutes and recent Supreme Court rulings.
More information can be found at EmployeeRightsAct.com.
The legislation is cosponsored by Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions Committee Ranking Member Dr. Bill Cassidy, M.D. (R-LA), Senate Republican Whip John Thune (R-SD), and U.S. Senators Mike Braun (R-IN), Ted Budd (R-NC), Kevin Cramer (R-ND), Mike Crapo (R-ID), Bill Hagerty (R-TN), Cindy Hyde-Smith (R-MS), Ron Johnson (R-WI), Mike Lee (R-UT), Cynthia Lummis (R-WY), and James Risch (R-ID).
The Employee Rights Act of 2023 is endorsed by the following groups:
Associated Builders and Contractors
American Experiment
Alaska Policy Forum
Americans for Prosperity
Americans for Tax Return
ALEC Action
Beacon Impact
California Business and Industrial Alliance
California Policy Center
Center for Union Facts
Center for Individual Freedom
Club for Growth
Commonwealth Foundation
Competitive Enterprise Institute
Council for Citizens Against Government Waste
Freedom Foundation
Heritage Action for America
Independent Women’s Voice
Institute for the American Worker
International Franchise Association
Job Creators Network
The LIBRE Initiative
Mackinac Public Policy Center
Maine Policy Institute
National Association of Manufacturers
National Federation of Independent Businesses
National Restaurant Association
National Taxpayers Union
Nevada Policy Research Institute
Open Competition Center
Retail Industry Leaders Association
RI Center for Freedom and Prosperity
US Chamber of Commerce
Wisconsin Manufacturers and Commerce
Workplace Policy Institute
Senator Tommy Tuberville represents Alabama in the United States Senate and is a member of the Senate Armed Services, Agriculture, Veterans’ Affairs, and HELP Committees.
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