Rapid Response Feedback Report: Victory for Workers: U.S. House of Representatives Pass H.R. 5408, the Faster Labor Contracts Act

Click here to download this Feedback Report as a PDF.

Over two weeks, hundreds of USW members contacted their U.S. Representative urging them to support H.R. 5408, the bipartisan Faster Labor Contracts Act. Due to the strength of our collective action, on Tuesday, June 9, the U.S. House of Representatives passed the bill by a vote of 230 to 193. This measure will now be considered by the U.S. Senate.

As a reminder, current labor law gives employers far too much room to stall contract negotiations with recently certified unions. H.R. 5408 addresses this imbalance by establishing a clear timeline for reaching a first collective bargaining agreement after a union is certified. Specifically, the measure would require bargaining to begin within 10 days of a certified union election, move stalled negotiations into mediation after 90 days, and send unresolved disputes to binding arbitration after 30 days in mediation.

While this is a major victory for workers, the Senate must pass
H.R. 5408 to ensure workers who exercise their right to organize have a fair path to achieving a contract and not endless obstruction designed to wear them down. Thank you for your work to push this bill over the line in the House!