Providing for Consideration of H.R. Faster Labor Contracts Act

Floor Speech

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Mr. ALLEN. Mr. Speaker, I thank the chairman for yielding the time.

Mr. Speaker, I rise in strong opposition to H.R. 5408, the Faster Labor Contracts Act.

Mr. Speaker, under the leadership of this House majority and the Trump administration, we are working to deliver a 21st century economy that benefits the working class. We are putting workers first and giving them the freedom to champion their own future and achieve the American Dream.

This legislation before us today, to put it simply, is a significant step backward. There is a reason this bill is opposed by hundreds of organizations and stakeholder groups, including H.R. professionals, franchise businesses, retailers, and more.

The Faster Labor Contracts Act would allow government-appointed arbitrators to impose a union contract on workers and employers if the two sides cannot reach an agreement on their own.

At its core, H.R. 5408 rips power away from workers and job creators and lays it in the lap of the Federal Government. I can tell you firsthand that the hardworking Georgians I represent want no part of this.

Georgia has been named the number one State to do business for 12 consecutive years. We are a right-to-work State. One reason for that is that we have great State-level leadership that rejects destructive policies like this.

Current law already requires employers and unions to bargain in good faith and provides remedies for parties that refuse to do so.

The goal of this body should be to fuel growth for Main Street, not force employees and employers into union contracts without their consent.

The Faster Labor Contracts Act is bad for our economy, bad for American workers, and I strongly urge a vote in opposition.

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