Today, in response to the House of Representatives passing the PRO Act, Ellen Sciales, Press Secretary of the Sunrise Movement, released the following statement:
“The PRO Act passing the House is a big win for the movement of working people across the country demanding fair treatment – from the teachers striking in West Virginia to the hundreds of wildcat strikes last year, people power has forced our leaders to listen, and we demand the ability to organize for better working conditions, higher wages and the benefits working people deserve. The passage of this act shows the strength of our collective power and what we can accomplish when we come together and organize for change.
“In particular, this is a major victory for Sunrise as we launch our Good Jobs for All campaign. The PRO Act is one of the core pillars of the campaign – for the federal government to guarantee meaningful work to all and ensure workplaces empower and protect workers. Not only must that be included in a federal jobs guarantee, but in a Green New Deal.
“Once again, the key obstacle in the way of passing this legislation is the Jim Crow filibuster. What that means is we expect Biden and the Senate to fight for the passage of the PRO Act with the same vigor that labor groups fought with to make this opportunity possible. The Senate must pass this legislation swiftly and Biden must follow through on his promise to pass it. If they cannot, the Senate must eliminate the filibuster or answer to our movement of labor unions, young people and activists across the country.”
This moment comes one week after Sunrise launched their “Good Jobs for All” campaign, laying the organizing groundwork and economic vision for a post-pandemic society that puts millions of people to work stopping the climate crisis. It also comes after Sunrise in January called on Biden and Congress to uphold their commitments and pass the PRO Act in its list of demands for this year.
