Two recent developments in Congress signal potentially significant changes affecting labor law as we move further into 2026.
First, the House of Representatives passed the Faster Labor Contracts Act (H.R. 5408) on June 9, 2026. This bill would create a new process for negotiating collective bargaining agreements, in a way that significantly benefits unions. It would require employers to meet and begin bargaining with a union within 10 days after they receive a written bargaining request from a newly recognized or certified union. The parties must make “every reasonable effort” to reach an agreement during this initial period.
If the parties did not reach an agreement within 90 days, either party could notify the Federal Mediation and Conciliation Service (FMCS) and request mediation. If mediation did not succeed within 30 days, FMCS would refer the dispute to a three-person arbitration panel. The panel would then issue a binding decision that governs the terms of the parties’… Read the complete article here...
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