House passes pro-union bill after 20 Republicans defy party

Washington — House Democrats, with the assistance of respective Republicans, bypassed GOP enactment connected Tuesday to unit a palmy ballot connected authorities that would accelerate negotiations connected newly-formed unions' archetypal corporate bargaining agreements. 

The legislation, titled the Faster Labor Contracts Act, was introduced successful September by Democratic Rep. Donald Norcross of New Jersey. It passed successful a 230 to 193 vote, with 20 Republicans voting successful favor. 

In precocious April, Norcross launched a discharge petition, seeking to bring the measure to the floor. The procedural maneuver allows members to circumvent enactment and unit a level ballot connected authorities if they unafraid a bulk enactment — 218 signatures. The petition deed the threshold wrong a month, with 7 Republicans signing on. 

Norcross' discharge petition is the seventh this league to deed the threshold, a motion of discontent with GOP leadership. 

The measurement would amend the National Labor Relations Act and necessitate employers to statesman declaration negotiations with newly-certified unions wrong 10 days of receiving a written request. It besides sets a timeline for mediation and lays retired adjacent steps if nary statement is reached aft 90 days. 

"Right now, employers tin hold negotiations connected archetypal contracts for years," Norcross said successful a connection successful April, adding that his measure "will unit employers to enactment successful bully religion and travel to the negotiating array quickly." 

During statement connected the bill, GOP Rep. Tim Walberg of Michigan argued the measurement would fast-track "government intrusion into backstage workplaces" and erode "workers' rights faster than we person ever seen before." 

"It is the latest effort to enactment workers nether the thumb of the national bureaucrats," Walberg said, referring to the arbitration process laid retired successful the bill. 

It's unclear whether the Senate volition instrumentality it up. Republican Sen. Josh Hawley of Missouri introduced a companion bill successful the Senate successful March 2025 that has 2 Republican and 13 Democratic cosponsors.