Kean opposes the Protecting the Right to Organize Act
A statement from the Malinowski for Congress Campaign
The House of Representatives on Feb. 6, 2020, passed the bipartisan Protecting the Right to Organize Act, landmark legislation that enhances working conditions by strengthening collective-bargaining rights. Rep. Tom Malinowski, D-7th District, joined the entire New Jersey House delegation in co-sponsoring and voting for the bill.
From his perch on the sidelines, Tom Kean Jr. has crowed his opposition to this win for working families, and worked to stoke fear among independent contractors not actually affected by the bill.
The PRO Act strengthens the National Labor Relations Act, which guarantees employees the right to form unions and to collectively bargain. It does not touch wage and hour laws that affect employees or independent contractors. As a 20-year Trenton insider, Kean should understand the difference.
It’s disappointing to see him pit our freelancers and independent contractors against union families and working people fighting for a living wage, just to score political points. Disappointing but not surprising.
Kean has never been a friend to working Americans. He has voted five times in Trenton against raising New Jersey’s minimum wage, four times against prevailing wage laws, and to undermine the collective bargaining process. He has voted against providing health and unemployment insurance for employees in labor disputes, and just last year, he opposed landmark legislation to crack down on wage theft and protect New Jersey workers from exploitation.
Senator Kean is proving again that he is no moderate. He is a career politician perfectly comfortable following the Trump playbook of lies, fear, and divisiveness, beholden to corporate money, and owned by his party.