Specifically, the FLCA imposes a 10-day time period for an employer and union to begin negotiating following a representation election as well as a requirement that a bargaining agreement be finalized in 90 days. The consequences for not obtaining such an agreement will likely be mandatory, binding arbitration, which will allow the federal government to set the terms of private contracts without the input or consent from the employees, employers or unions involved.

The bill, already introduced in the U.S. Senate with bipartisan support, is part of a broader labor policy legislative framework that includes sections of the PRO Act and the Warehouse Worker Protection Act, including language on ambush elections and banning so-called captive audience meetings. ABC opposes this framework, joining with 42 other members of the Coalition for a Democratic Workplace in a letter and with the Coalition for Workplace Safety in a second letter urging the Senate to reject it. 

The FLCA and proposed labor policy framework threaten the fundamental rights of employers and employees to negotiate freely and fairly. It is critical that we stand against government overreach and protect workers’ rights to negotiate in a fair and independent manner. 

I urge you to contact your representative today and tell them to oppose the Faster Labor Contracts Act to safeguard the future of workplace rights!