On Labor Day, the public celebrates workers’ dignity. Ironically, Congress will soon consider legislation denying workers a say in how they communicate with their employers. Sen. Bernie Sanders has committed to including the PRO Act in the reconciliation bill. One of the PRO Act’s provisions would eliminate a safeguard that protects workers’ agency: the federal ban on secondary boycotts and strikes.

Federal labor law is premised on giving workers agency, empowering them to decide how to deal with their employers. The law protects workers’ rights to speak to their employers collectively through union representatives. It also protects their right not to unionize and instead deal directly with their employer. The fundamental principle of existing federal labor law is the worker decides, and the federal government protects their freedom to choose.