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ADVOCACY COMMITTEE

The Real Threat That is the PRO Act

Congressional Democrats continue to advocate for passage of legislation that would drastically tilt the
landscape in favor of unions through the Protecting the Right to Organize (PRO) Act. Having already
advanced through the House, pressure is mounting to have the Senate consider this misbranded
legislation. In recent history, such extreme legislation would be dead on arrival in the Senate, where
there would not be the 60 votes needed to overcome a filibuster. But President Biden and Democrats
are pushing to weaken or possibly eliminate the filibuster altogether. Should this happen, chances of
legislation like the PRO Act to become law increases exponentially and IEC members need to remain
vigilant and engaged with their members of Congress to urge their opposition.

But just how drastically would the PRO Act impact labor law? The bill would:
• Eliminate the Secret Ballot in union representation elections;
• Limit the ability for small businesses to access professional assistance with complex labor law;
• Allow union picketing of the vendors and suppliers of a company that’s a target of an
organizing campaign;
• Infringe on the privacy of employees by requiring employers to turn over their contact information;
• Jeopardize the traditional contractor-subcontractor relationship by weakening the standard used for
joint employment;
• Overturn Right-to-Work protections currently in place in 27 states.

These are just a handful of the changes the PRO Act intends to make. IEC merit shop contractors should
heed this warning and be ready when called upon to engage their members of Congress on this issue.

INDUSTRY PARTNER COMMITTEE

The Industry Partners Committee reviewed our new, upgraded, and non-renewed partners. Members
were pleased regarding the growth we have seen within the program. Committee members
recommended categories for new Industry Partners, including car chargers, access systems, security
firms, solar, lighting, access controls, and fire alarms.

IEC Member Discount Programs (Affinity Programs)
Discussion continued surrounding new member benefits programs and existing relationships. The new
IEC website will go live with the addition of over 40 new programs. Existing affinity programs are working
on updates for the new site and additional marketing.

IEC Convention and Expo 2021
IEC continues ongoing discussions with previous show exhibitors with additional outreach to Low
Voltage/Limited Energy firms. Staff is working with Colorado chapters to engage their local existing
associate members and new potential firms.

www.ieci.org | May/June 2021 | Insights Magazine 21