The Faster Labor Contracts Act is a key component of the controversial Protecting the Right to Organize Act (PRO Act) and represents one of organized labor’s top legislative priorities.&nbsp;
The House is expected to vote on the Faster Labor Contracts Act the week of June 8.&nbsp;
This is a serious threat.
Take action now. Background On March 26, 2026, Rep. Donald Norcross (D-N.J.) introduced a House resolution (<a href="https://www.congress.gov/bill/119th-congress/house-resolution/1140/text" target="_blank">H.Res. 1140</a>) to force a vote on the APCA-opposed Faster Labor Contracts Act (<a href="https://www.congress.gov/bill/119th-congress/house-bill/5408/text" target="_blank">H.R. 5408</a>).&nbsp;
Democratic party lawmakers in Congress (and potentially 17 <a href="https://www.congress.gov/bill/119th-congress/house-bill/5408/cosponsors?q=%7B%22party%22%3A%22Republican%22%7D" target="_blank">pro-union Republicans who have already cosponsored the FLCA</a> since it was introduced in September of 2025) are using a rarely used procedural maneuver called a discharge petition (<a href="https://clerk.house.gov/DischargePetition/2026042019" target="_blank">filed on April 20, 2026</a>) to bypass committee hearings, fast-track this bill, and appease powerful union special interests.
Update 5/20: Unfortunately, the FLCA discharge petition has secured 218 signatures, which means the bill will come to the House floor for a vote (likely June 8). As of May 20, the Republican signers are Mike Lawler (NY-17), Max Miller (OH-7), Rob Bresnahan (PA-8), Brian Fitzpatrick (PA-1), Riley Moore (WV-2), Nick LaLota (NY-1), and Don Bacon (NE-2). The only Democrat not on the petition is Henry Cuellar (TX-28). This means the FLCA is likely to pass the House during a floor vote, but we need to limit the number of GOP supporters.
In the Senate, the FLCA (<a href="https://www.congress.gov/bill/119th-congress/senate-bill/844" target="_blank">SB 844</a>) was introduced by Sen. Josh Hawley (R-MO) and cosponsored by Sen. Bernie Moreno (R-OH), Sen. Roger Marshall (R-KS), and 13 Democrats. It needs 60 votes to pass the Senate. If there is strong GOP support in the House, it could put additional pressure on Senate Republicans to support the FLCA and it is unclear if President Trump would sign the bill into law. 
If signed into law, the Faster Labor Contracts Act would make significant changes to the National Labor Relations Act and fundamentally upend how labor contracts are negotiated in America. Instead of allowing employers and unions/employees to voluntarily reach agreements, the bill would impose binding interest arbitration, giving federal arbitrators sweeping authority to dictate the terms of private-sector contracts. Deep Dive on the FLCA The Faster Labor Contracts Act would amend the National Labor Relations Act to impose a compressed, federally mandated timeline on first-contract negotiations with unions organizing a private-sector employer. Under this framework, following union certification:
<ul>
<li>Day 10: The employer is required to begin bargaining&nbsp;</li>
<li>Day 100: Federal mediation is triggered if no agreement has been reached&nbsp;</li>
<li>Day 130: Binding interest arbitration is initiated if mediation fails&nbsp;</li>
<li>Day 144: An arbitration panel is seated to impose a final contract</li>
</ul>
This represents a maximum bargaining period of 120 days – 90 days of bargaining followed by 30 days of mediation – before either party can invoke mandatory arbitration. If the parties cannot agree on a neutral third arbitrator, the Federal Mediation and Conciliation Service would step in to designate one. The arbitration panel’s decision would be binding for two years. The panel must weigh factors such as the employer’s financial status and employee living costs.
Under the Faster Labor Contracts Act, employers could find the terms of their first union contract decided not by their own negotiating team, but by a panel of government-appointed arbitrators operating under a compressed timeline with limited context about a business's operations, finances, or workforce.&nbsp;
Bringing uninformed arbitrators up to speed on a workplace’s risks and finances could take months or longer, while decisions made without that context could be disastrous for the business and union members alike.&nbsp;
The bill also strips employers of the traditional negotiating dynamic in which employees ultimately vote on whether to ratify a contract. Under binding arbitration, the terms are imposed without a ratification vote.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;
This is an unprecedented expansion of federal power into private business decisions. For the first time, Washington bureaucrats could override voluntary negotiations and impose contract terms on small businesses and their employees.
For APCA members—who are overwhelmingly small, merit shop contractors—this could mean:
<ul>
<li>Unsustainable labor costs</li>
<li>Reduced flecibility to manage your workforce</li>
<li>Increased legal and administrative burdens</li>
<li>Higher costs for pipeline infrastructure projects</li>
</ul>
Act now to stop this effort before it becomes law.&nbsp;
Contact your U.S. House and Senate lawmakers, President Trump, and VP Vance today and urge them to OPPOSE the Faster Labor Contracts Act (H.R. 5408). Learn more at: <a href="https://www.protectingamericanworkers.org/" target="_blank">https://www.protectingamericanworkers.org/</a>&nbsp;
Share this grassroots alert with other stakeholders through this link: <a href="https://mstr.app/e33bf412-1f6c-4fec-bdf1-93129607bd88" target="_blank">https://mstr.app/e33bf412-1f6c-4fec-bdf1-93129607bd88</a>&nbsp;

I urge you to oppose the controversial Faster Labor Contracts Act (H.R. 5408) which is expected to receive a vote on the House floor as early as June 8 as a result of H.Res. 1140 and a successful discharge petition filed by Rep. Norcross (D-NJ) April 20, 2026.

This bill represents a significant and troubling shift in federal labor policy. By imposing binding interest arbitration, it would allow government-appointed arbitrators to dictate the terms of private-sector labor agreements—undermining the long-standing principle of voluntary negotiations between employers and employees.

As your constituent, I am particularly concerned about the impact on small businesses. Many employers—especially in the pipeline contracting and construction industry—operate on tight margins and face unique workforce challenges. This legislation ignores those realities and could force businesses into agreements they cannot afford to sustain.

Additionally, the bill weakens worker choice by allowing contracts to be imposed without employee ratification.

At a time when our economy and energy infrastructure needs depend on flexibility, growth, and job creation, this proposal moves us in the wrong direction by increasing federal control over workplace decisions.

I respectfully ask that you oppose the Faster Labor Contracts Act (H.R. 5408/S. 844).

Thank you for your consideration.

Oppose the Faster Labor Contracts Act