ATA Asks Senate to Amend PRO Act

Stand Up, Take Action!

The Protecting the Right to Organize Act of 2021, also known as PRO Act, represents a dramatic change in U.S. labor law, including the adoption of the ABC worker classification test at the federal level. This will make it more difficult for individuals to claim independent contractor status. A similar ABC test proved disastrous for most professional translators and interpreters in California when the state’s Assembly Bill 5 went into effect in 2020.

PRO Act is now under consideration in the U.S. Senate after being passed by the House of Representatives on March 9.

What You Can Do as an ATA Member

Protection from exploitation and misclassification is essential for some occupations. Ours is not one of them. We are calling on ATA members to contact their senators as soon as possible to inform them of the serious unintended consequences of PRO Act on our industry. Not only is the ability of professional linguists to practice as independent contractors threatened, but continued access to language services by those with limited English proficiency is also at risk.

Read ATA’s letter to Congress: H.R.842 – Protecting the Right to Organize Act of 2021.

Contact Your Senator Today!

Go to the U.S. Senate to find your state’s senators. Feel free to use ATA’s letter to Congress as a basis for your communication and add your own personal appeal for amendment.

Questions?

Email the ATA Advocacy Committee at advocacy@atanet.org.