A major labor reform championed by the IAM Union moved one step closer to becoming law this week as the U.S. House of Representatives passed the bipartisan Faster Labor Contracts Act (FLCA), legislation designed to stop employers from delaying negotiations and denying newly organized workers the first contract they fought to win.
The IAM Union was a leading advocate for the bill, urging lawmakers to support a discharge petition led by U.S. Rep. Donald Norcross (D-N.J.) that successfully forced a House vote on the legislation.
In an April letter to members of Congress, IAM Union International President Brian Bryant called on lawmakers to sign the discharge petition and advance the legislation, noting that workers often face years of delays after voting to form a union. Bryant warned that employers exploit the lack of bargaining deadlines to frustrate workers and undermine support for newly formed unions.
“The ability to collectively bargain a contract with their employer is central to why workers in growing numbers are exercising their right to form and join unions,” said Bryant. “Securing a first contract is perhaps the most important part of collective bargaining — and it is also often the hardest. Employers know they can drag their feet and demoralize workers. The Faster Labor Contracts Act changes that dynamic by making union-busting employers actually come to the table.”
The legislation would amend the National Labor Relations Act to establish clear timelines for bargaining. Employers would be required to begin negotiations within 10 days of workers voting to form a union. If no agreement is reached within 90 days, the parties can move to mediation, followed by binding arbitration if necessary.
Workers currently wait an average of more than 458 days to secure a first contract, according to a Bloomberg analysis, often because employers intentionally stall negotiations after losing a union election.
“Workers don’t organize a union just to spend years waiting for their employer to negotiate a contract,” said Bryant. “The Faster Labor Contracts Act will help ensure that when workers vote for a union, they have a real opportunity to secure the wages, benefits, and protections they fought for. The Senate should move quickly to pass this legislation.”
The IAM Union (International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers) represents approximately 600,000 active and retired members in aerospace, defense, airlines, shipbuilding, rail, transit, non-profit, healthcare, automotive, and other industries across North America.
The post IAM Union-Backed Faster Labor Contracts Act Passes House, Advancing Fight for Workers’ First Contracts appeared first on IAM Union.