A group of Republicans has unveiled a new tranche of legislation to update federal labor law, part of a push to revamp laws to fit the modern economy.
Sen. Bill Cassidy (R-LA), chairman of the Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions Committee, announced the legislative initiative on Monday. Sens. Jim Banks (R-IN), Tommy Tuberville (R-AL), and Tim Scott (R-SC) also released bills that are part of the legislative package.
“Congress has not updated labor laws for nearly 100 years, yet the economy and the way we work have changed,” Cassidy said. “We have a responsibility to bring stability to businesses, unions, and workers to make our nation competitive in a 21st-century economy.”
REPUBLICANS AVOID TARIFF RETHINK DESPITE VOTER DISCONTENT WITH INFLATION
Speaking to a small group of reporters ahead of the package’s release, Cassidy said that the goal of the bills is to improve the voice of the modern worker, the choice of the worker, and the rights of workers. He said that labor and business need to work together to create certainty.
Cassidy noted that President Donald Trump has recognized the importance of labor unions. In fact, during his 2024 campaign, Teamsters President Sean O’Brien spoke before the Republican National Convention, a major departure from GOP conventions in years past.
Republicans have long complained about issues with the unionization process, as well as with the National Labor Relations Board. Some of the legislation seeks to address perceived problems with the structure of the Board’s oversight of unions and the unfair labor practice charge process.
One of Cassidy’s bills is the Worker Reforming Elections for Speedy and Unimpeded Labor Talks, or RESULTS, Act, which aims to strengthen the integrity of union elections by requiring union votes to be conducted by a secret ballot and with a two-thirds quorum of the bargaining unit to participate in the election.
It also works to build a “stronger link between a union election and a first collective bargaining agreement by aligning workers’ first opportunity to choose a different union or not have a union with their first collective bargaining agreement,” according to the HELP committee.
The bill would increase the window in which workers can vote on continuing their relationship with a union from one month to 90 days, in addition to ensuring that window periods occur every two years.
The Fairness in Filing Act would reform the process of unfair labor practice charges. Republicans argue that unfair labor practice charges are sometimes filed to extend timelines during negotiations or to gain leverage in the process. They note that the NLRB estimates that roughly half of all unfair labor practice charges are ultimately dismissed.
Currently, the ULP charge process involves visiting the NLRB’s website, completing a form, submitting it, and then having the labor board conduct an investigation. This new legislation would require evidence to be included in that charge, such as a text message, a screenshot of an email, or an affidavit. Republicans argue that adding those guardrails will help reduce frivolous charges and alleviate the labor board’s backlog.
While unions are currently required to inform workers of their rights when opting out of union political spending, Republicans argue that the information is often inaccessible or difficult to locate.
The Union Members’ Right to Know Act would require that labor unions “clearly and regularly” provide workers with information about their rights to object to their dues going to spending that is political in nature, according to committee Republicans.
Additionally, this requires union workers to opt in to their dues going toward non-representational activities.
Legislation by Banks, also on the HELP committee, would make it an unfair labor practice to either hire or unionize illegal immigrants.
A bill by Tuberville would clarify that the National Labor Relations Act does not nullify federal antidiscrimination law, and legislation by Scott would work to further safeguard the personal data of workers during the unionization process.
Taken together, Republicans on the committee hope that the legislative package will help kickstart talks on modernizing U.S. labor laws and eventually become law. Cassidy said that the legislation doesn’t intend to “tear up unions,” but rather just update the law.
CONSUMER SENTIMENT PLUNGES TO LOWEST IN THREE YEARS AS SHUTDOWN HITS RECORD LENGTH
The latest push comes after Cassidy previously led a group of Republicans in July in unveiling legislation that would make it easier for companies to provide benefits, such as healthcare, to independent workers. This effort comes amid the ongoing debate over the treatment of independent workers and the gig economy.
“Our labor laws are over 100 years old, but they are dictating the contractor, contractee, the independent contractor economy,” Cassidy told the Washington Examiner at the time.
