Faster Labor Contracts Act garners bipartisan support

Sen. Josh Hawley, R-Mo., on March 4 introduced the Faster Labor Contracts Act, which would amend the National Labor Relations Act to reduce the time between unionization and negotiation to 10 days.

“Despite exercising their legal — and moral — right to bargain collectively, workers are often prevented from enjoying the benefits of the union they voted to form when mega-corporations drag their feet, slow-walk contract negotiations, and try to erode support for the union,” Hawley said in a statement.

Under the Faster Labor Contracts Act, if no agreement is met in 90 days, the dispute would be taken to mediation. If that fails within 30 days or another agreed-upon window of time, the dispute then goes to arbitration.

Co-sponsors of the bill include Sens. Cory Booker, D-N.J., Jeff Merkley, D-Ore., and Gary Peters, D-Mich. Within Hawley’s own party, Sen. Bernie Moreno, R-Ohio, is also co-sponsoring the bill. 

“Americans deserve fair wages, safe workplaces, and good benefits in exchange for their hard work — and forming a union helps workers fight for fairness in their workplace,” Booker said in his statement. “Workers who vote to join a union have the right to form that union quickly, instead of facing years of delays from big corporations.”

Meanwhile, business groups have largely condemned Hawley’s bill.

“For 90 years, the National Labor Relations Act has survived these self-serving coups for one reason alone: It works. Everyone has a seat at the table, including American workers,” American Trucking Associations President and CEO Chris