Rep. Rick Allen, R-Ga., told Newsmax on Thursday that he and Rep. Tim Scott, R-S.C., introduced the Employee Rights Act to counteract what Democrats are doing with union workers.
''What we've worked toward in this modern workforce as far as human resources are concerned is that employees want to build wealth,'' Allen said on ''American Agenda.''
''They want to be entrepreneurial. They don't like an adversarial relationship with the company they're working with. I mean, look at what the unions are doing with Starbucks right now. It's a terrible pressure that the unions are putting on these companies and then you have the public opinion aspects of it. It's terrible.
''And then, of course, you have the public opinion aspects of it — you know, it's terrible. People want to buy in where they work. They want the opportunity to franchise. For example, this would do away with franchising. It would be a terrible economic blow to our economy.''
Starbucks has fought employees' unionizing efforts, closing unionized stores and offering better benefits to non-union workers.
''We don't need to go back in time,'' said Allen, who is seeking reelection in November. ''We have a modern workforce. Companies understand they have to take care of people and they've got to give opportunity to those people, and the unions aren't able to do it.''
The Employee Rights Act would include ''provisions that protect gig workers, contractors, franchisees, entrepreneurs and anyone seeking flexible work options,'' according to Scott.
The bill counters President Joe Biden's Protecting the Right to Organize Act, which Scott says is ''stuck in the past.''
''Not only would it crush right-to-work protections in 27 states and put more power in the hands of union bosses, it also would also codify the California law that voters in one of the most liberal states in America already rejected,'' Scott said.
''It doesn't make sense — unless you understand that the codependent relationship between labor bosses and liberal elected officials requires a radical agenda that prioritizes their power at the expense of American workers.
''The president breathed new life into the fight over the PRO Act during his State of the Union speech this month, even after the legislation squeaked by in the House and failed in the Senate last year.''
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