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

Floor Speech

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Mr. HORSFORD. Mr. Speaker, I thank the distinguished ranking member for yielding.

Mr. Speaker, I rise as a son of the labor movement and co-chair of the Congressional Labor Caucus in strong support of the Faster Labor Contracts Act.

When workers come together to form a union, they are not asking for a handout. They are asking and fighting for what they have already earned: better wages, safer working conditions, stronger benefits, and the dignity of having a voice on the job.

Collective bargaining is a fundamental right, guaranteed under Federal law, and it is one of the most powerful tools working people have.

Mr. Speaker, winning the union election is supposed to be the end of the fight. Instead, for far too many workers, it is just the beginning. It is just the beginning because current law provides no meaningful timeline for reaching a first contract.

Employers who want to stall can stall for months, even years, all while workers wait. Here is the number that should outrage every Member of this body: 458 days. On average, it takes 458 days to reach a first contract after workers have already voted.

Think about that. More than 1 year after workers have spoken clearly with their vote, they are still waiting. They are still waiting for the wages that they organized to win. They are still waiting for the benefits that their families need. They are still waiting for basic dignity on the job.

Too often, that delay is not an accident. It is a strategy to wear workers down and to preserve the status quo.

The Faster Labor Contracts Act, introduced by my friend and fellow co-chair of the Labor Caucus, Representative Norcross, closes that loophole. It does not guarantee any particular outcome at the bargaining table. It simply ensures that both parties show up and negotiate in good faith on a reasonable timeline.

A right delayed is a right denied. Workers cannot wait. Families cannot wait.

Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to support the Faster Labor Contracts Act and to bring this PRO Act to the floor for its full approval.

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