Federal lawmakers in Washington D.C. have passed several pieces of legislation in recent days to solve the pension crisis, strengthen workers’ ability to organize, and provide funding for those hardest hit by the pandemic.

President Joe Biden signed a $1.9 trillion economic stimulus bill, the American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA), after the United States House of Representatives approved it on March 10. The Senate narrowly approved the package a week earlier, which included the Butch Lewis Emergency Pension Plan Relief Act, which provides sweeping and broad-based relief to troubled multiemployer pension plans.

“I want to personally thank each and every single Teamster Member that took action to support the Butch Lewis Act over the years. Our collective voice could not be ignored, and Congress finally realized the pension crisis in the United States needed a shot in the arm. With the attachment of the Butch Lewis act to the American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA), a path has been laid to save the pensions that so many hard-working men and women have rightfully earned,” Teamsters Joint Council 25 President Terrence J. Hancock said.

On March 9, the House of Representatives passed the Protecting the Right to Organize (PRO) Act this week, which would ban state right-to-work laws, holds companies accountable for National Labor Relations Act (NLRA) violations and makes it easier for newly unionized workers to earn a fair first contract. The bill has not yet been introduced to the Senate.

“We know all too well the struggles of everyday workers, and protecting their right to form a union and collectively bargain for better wages and working conditions is a fundamental American right. The PRO Act is a boon to all working people looking to improve their lot. Now, it’s time to put pressure on our Senators to send it along to President Biden’s desk,” Hancock said.