H.R. 5408 — Faster Labor Contracts Act

This section states congressional findings that U.S. employees have the right to organize and bargain collectively, that first-contract negotiations after a union vote often take a year or longer, and that the average time from a successful representation vote to a contract was 465 days as of a 2021 Bloomberg Law study. It further finds that such delays primarily benefit employers and that federal labor law should facilitate prompt first contracts.

This section requires employers and newly certified or recognized unions to meet and begin bargaining for an initial collective bargaining agreement within 10 days of a written request. If no agreement is reached after 90 days, either party may request mediation from the Federal Mediation and Conciliation Service; if mediation fails after 30 days, the dispute proceeds to binding arbitration by a 3-person panel whose decision governs for 2 years. It also requires employers to maintain current wages, hours, and terms pending agreement and extends the duty to bargain absent decertification.

This section directs the Comptroller General to submit a report to Congress within one year of enactment examining the average number of days between certification or recognition of a union representative under section 9(a) of the National Labor Relations Act and execution of an initial collective bargaining agreement, for certifications occurring after enactment.