Labor-supported bill would protect unions, force workers into unions they never voted for
Photo Credit: Getty
Twenty Republican House members joined their Democratic colleagues in passing the Faster Labor Contracts Act last night. The bill would fast-track union negotiations, allowing arbitration panels to impose contracts if one has not been reached within 120 days of workers voting for representation.
CEI research fellow Sean Higgins said:
“House lawmakers who think they helped working Americans by voting for the Faster Labor Contracts Act are mistaken. The legislation is not about curbing the worst delays in workers getting union contracts. It is instead about ensuring unions were set up before anyone had any second thoughts or moved on to other jobs.
“The exact length of time needed to negotiate a labor-management contract has always varied, and it has been common for decades for that process to take as long as a year. The Faster Labor Contracts Act doesn’t address any new development. Nor was it written to address the worst cases of corporate foot-dragging. Instead, it applies an arbitrary 120-day deadline to reach a union contract. If a deal isn’t reached, an arbitration panel can then impose a contract that workers must accept regardless of its terms.
“This deliberately short window of time is meant to ensure a contract before workers change their minds and potentially seek to decertify the union. In sectors with high job turnover, like hospitality, the legislation would likely result in more workplaces where new hires find themselves bound by contracts that they never had a chance to vote on.”
More from CEI: