On March 9, the U.S. House of Representatives voted 225-206 to pass H.R. 842, the Protecting the Right to Organize (PRO) Act. If enacted into law, the bill would be the most expansive labor relations legislation since the National Labor Relations Act (NLRA) of 1935.

The legislation would, among other provisions:

• Weaken right-to-work laws in 28 states by permitting unions to require workers at unionized companies to pay dues. Currently, employees in right-to-work states may choose not to pay union dues.
• Greatly expand the definition of "employee" and almost expunge the concept of independent contractor.
• Make it easier to establish that two or more employers are joint employers.
• Prohibit class-action waivers in arbitration.
• Expand damages under the NLRA.