Bill

H.R. 5408 (119th): Faster Labor Contracts Act

Faster Labor Contracts Act This bill establishes mandatory deadlines for parties negotiating an initial collective bargaining agreement (CBA) and provides for mediation and arbitration to finalize CBAs. Under the bill, CBA negotiations must begin within 10 days after an employer receives a written request from a newly recognized or certified bargaining representative. The bill provides that parties must make every reasonable effort to conclude and sign a CBA. Further, the bill provides that, if the parties have not reached an agreement after 90 days, either party may request mediation by the Federal Mediation and Conciliation Service (FMCS). The bill directs FMCS to use its best efforts to secure an agreement. If mediation does not result in an agreement within 30 days (or an additional period agreed to by both parties), FMSC must refer the parties to an arbitration panel to render a decision settling the dispute. The panel must consider specified factors, including the employer's financial prospects and employees' cost of living. The resulting CBA is binding on the parties for two years. (Parties may agree to amend the terms during the two-year period.) The bill specifies that (1) an employer must maintain current wages, hours, terms, and conditions of employment during negotiations; and (2) an employer's duty to collectively bargain continues even if a representative has been decertified. The Government Accountability Office must report to Congress regarding the average number of days between the certification or recognition of a bargaining representative and the date the initial CBA was executed.

house · Substantive

Rankings updated October 26, 2026, 11:44 AM ET · Votes through September 30, 2026
Exported candidates: 719 | Filings on file, by office: H: 5838 | P: 1467 | S: 1567. These counts include every filing for that office, so they are larger than the ranked list. One person can have more than one filing. Non-voting delegates are left out.

Official source

Summary

Recorded summary

The bill sets deadlines for parties negotiating an initial collective bargaining agreement after a union is newly recognized or certified. Negotiations must begin within 10 days of a written request. If no agreement is reached within 90 days, either party may request FMCS mediation. If mediation fails within 30 days, the parties are referred to an arbitration panel that must settle the dispute, considering factors including the employer's financial prospects and employees' cost of living. The resulting agreement binds the parties for two years, subject to amendment by mutual consent. Employers must maintain current wages and conditions during negotiations, and the duty to bargain continues after decertification. GAO must report on the average time from certification to first contract.

collective_bargainingeconomic_policyjusticelabor

Theological note: The bill bears on the Christian concern for just wages, fair dealing between employer and worker, and the lawful freedom of association, as well as the proper limits of civil authority in economic life. Scripture honors honest labor and fair pay, and general equity asks whether both workers and employers are treated justly. Government-imposed arbitration and binding terms raise questions of prudence and the proper scope of state power over private contracts, but these are matters for careful judgment rather than clear moral verdicts on the bill's face.

Scoring

How this bill is scored

Debt and war Cloture and Tier 1 Procedural votes Scoring mechanics

Roll

Recorded votes

Roll 216 · 9-Jun-2026 7:05 PM · On Passage · Passed

Yea 230 · Nay 193 · Other 7

Yea

Nay

Other

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