Federal bill would give government control over labor deals

Action is needed to stop legislation that could lead to the federal government mandating the terms of contracts between unions and companies.

Senators Josh Hawley (R-MO), Cory Booker (D-NJ), Bernie Moreno (R-OH), Gary Peters (D-MI) and Jeff Merkley (D-OR) recently introduced the “Faster Labor Contracts Act” (FLCA).

According to the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, the FLCA would require employers and unions to finalize collective bargaining agreements within 120 days or face “binding interest arbitration of first contracts.” This means that an arbitration panel would be authorized by the federal government to dictate exactly what is included in the first contract, including wages, benefits and nearly every other aspect of workplace policy for newly organized employees.

This bill is bad for American workers, employers and the overall economy.

National business groups have raised several concerns:

• Rushed elections undermine informed and fair decisions. Businesses would be unable to hold meetings to share information about how unionization could affect employees.
• Forced contracts strip away control. Mandatory arbitration would allow the government to force contracts on workers without their approval and businesses could be locked into costly, long-term agreements they can’t afford.
• Heavy fines target honest mistakes. Violations often occur because regulations are unclear, and small businesses often lack resources to navigate complicated rules.
• Outdated mandates add costs without benefits. The one-size-fits-all requirements of FLCA ignore the needs of today’s workplaces and pile on unnecessary expenses for businesses.

The U.S. Chamber of Commerce sent a letter to Sen. Hawley outlining these issues and is asking Missouri business owners to do the same.

To contact Sen. Hawley and tell him why this bill is harmful for Missouri business, go to hawley.senate.gov/contact-senator-hawley/.