New Version of PRO Act Opposed
- Mar 26
- 1 min read
A bi-partisan set of U.S. Senators recently introduced (S. 844), the “Faster Labor Contracts Act” (FLCA), which has nearly identical provisions to the discredited and rejected PRO-Act and Employee Free Choice Act. CIRT joined a large coalition of organizations, representing a wide variety of industries from across the country and economy, to urge Congress to once again oppose legislation, which could lead to the Federal Government mandating the terms of contracts between unions and companies.
The new bill would require employers and unions to finalize initial collective bargaining agreements within 120 days or face “binding interest arbitration of first contracts.” In practice, this means that an arbitration panel would be authorized to dictate exactly what is included in the first contract, including wages, benefits, safety procedures, leave questions, and nearly every other aspect of workplace policy for a period of two years. The entire exercise runs afoul of the fundamental bedrock principle, espoused in the National Labor Relations Act (NLRA) and by the courts including the Supreme Court, that the parties, not the government, should determine the applicable terms and conditions of employment.
Moreover, the bill also raises some constitutional concerns related to the Fifth Amendment protections with regard to the “takings clause” whereby employers and employees could be deprived of their property rights without the requisite due process safeguards.
For more details; see, “Coalition for a Democratic Workplace” Letter (dated March 26, 2025).
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