Congress requires faster union contract talks and binding arbitration.

What it does

The bill sets a 10-day deadline to start contract talks. Both sides have 90 days to reach a deal. If they cannot agree, an arbitrator decides the contract terms. The arbitrator looks at employer finances, cost of living, and similar jobs' wages. The arbitrator's decision is binding for 2 years.

Who it affects

Workers in newly unionized workplaces get a faster path to their first contract. Employers must negotiate within the 90-day window and cannot use delay tactics. Arbitrators make final decisions if talks fail.

One thing to notice

Once an arbitrator decides contract terms, those terms lock in for 2 years. They cannot be changed, even if business or the job market shifts.

From the analysis of the bill text, linked under Primary records below.

Where it stands

110 cosponsors: 93 Democrats, 17 Republicans.

• Sep 16, 2025 — Introduced · Congress.gov: “Introduced in House”
• Sep 16, 2025 — Referred to House Committee on Education and Workforce · Congress.gov: “Referred to the House Committee on Education and Workforce”
• Jun 9, 2026 — Passed the House · Congress.gov: “On passage Passed by the Yeas and Nays: 230 - 193 (Roll no. 216). (text: CR H4029-4030)”

Dates and quoted wording are Congress.gov's action record; the timeline shows status changes, not every procedural step.

Money around this bill

62 groups reported lobbying about this bill. They filed 83 reports from Dec 2025 to Jun 2026.

Those reports show $88,930,894 in lobbying spending. Each report lists about 24 bills. So that money was not all for this bill.

More groups named this bill than 99% of bills with any report.

Donald Norcross, who sponsored the bill, received $813,914 from PACs for the 2026 election.

• Chamber of Commerce of the U.S.A. — $54,660,000 in 3 reports
• National Retail Federation — $3,881,000 in 2 reports
• National Multifamily Housing Council Inc — $2,330,000 in 1 report
• Walmart Inc — $2,060,000 in 1 report
• American Hotel & Lodging Association — $1,680,000 in 2 reports

Lobbying is legal. These reports show who lobbied about this bill, not what changed.

Words to know

• binding arbitration — A neutral person hears both sides and makes a final decision that both must follow.
• arbitrator — A neutral person chosen to hear a dispute and make a final decision.
• lobbying — Trying to influence lawmakers about a bill. Companies and groups pay people to do this.
• PACs — Groups that collect money and give it to candidates for office.
• sponsored — To sponsor a bill is to introduce it in Congress and put your name on it.