The PRO Act sets us back and burdens businesses

By To the editor:

As a millennial Alaskan and engaged member of the Anchorage business community, I write today in opposition to the Protecting the Right to Organize (PRO) Act. I’ve worked with small businesses and organizations across Alaska and have seen firsthand the harm caused by overreaching federal regulations that have a detrimental impact on our state and its people. All too often it is the “one-size-fits-all” approach handed down to the states by drafters in D.C. that are most damaging to our economy. This is exactly what’s happening with the PRO Act—a bill currently moving through the U.S. Senate.

Alaskans won’t be fooled, and it’s no surprise that the PRO Act is facing opposition from the majority of Alaskans. According to a recent poll, 85% of Alaskans want to ensure their options to work as independent contractors remain in place. Further, once informed about the PRO Act nearly 2/3 of Alaskans stated their opposition to the proposed legislation in a recent poll.

Beyond the stringent and draconian labor law changes proposed by the PRO Act, I have deep reservations about the provision that would repeal “right-to-work” laws that currently exist in 27 states across the country. I believe that the workforce and labor laws should evolve with the desires and creativity of the public, startups, scaling businesses, and freelance workers. The gig economy might be new, but it’s not going anywhere. Sole proprietors and independent contractors earned more than $2.5 billion in Alaska in 2018. We all know that revenue at that scale is desperately needed here in Alaska and that Alaskans invest and spend their money here at home more than outside. Now is not the time for limiting choices, burdening small businesses, or disincentivizing gig or freelance workers from going out there to hustle in our local economies.

Tony Spiroski,

Anchorage