H.R. 5408: Faster Labor Contracts Act
Sponsor
Donald Norcross
Democrat · NJ-1
Bill Progress
Latest Action · Jun 10, 2026
Passed the House, received in Senate
A union win shouldn't mean 465 days waiting
Why it matters
The bill's findings cite a 465-day average wait between a successful union vote and a first contract. H.R. 5408 would put that process on a federal clock: 10 days to start bargaining, 90 days before mediation, then binding arbitration 30 days later if talks still go nowhere.
H.R. 5408 is about the stretch after workers win union recognition but before anything changes in their paychecks, schedules, or benefits. According to the bill's findings, that gap averaged 465 days in a 2021 Bloomberg Law study.
The bill would require employers and newly recognized unions to meet and start bargaining within 10 days of a written request, unless both sides agree to a different schedule. While those talks are going on, the employer would have to keep current wages, hours, and other working conditions in place.
If there is still no first contract after 90 days of bargaining, either side could call in the Federal Mediation and Conciliation Service. If mediation still fails after 30 more days, the dispute would go to a three-person arbitration panel.
That panel would issue a binding decision lasting 2 years unless both sides later agree in writing to change it. The bill says arbitrators must weigh the employer's finances and business type, workers' cost of living, whether wages and benefits can support workers and their families, and what similar employers pay.
H.R. 5408 Bill Summary
What H.R. 5408 actually does.
First contract talks start within 10 days
After a newly recognized union makes a written request, the employer and union must meet and begin bargaining within 10 days unless both sides agree to a different timeline.
Your pay and schedule stay in place during talks
Employers would have to maintain current wages, hours, and other working conditions while first-contract bargaining is still pending.
Mediation starts after 90 days without a deal
If the two sides still have no first contract after 90 days of bargaining, either side can ask the Federal Mediation and Conciliation Service to step in.
Deadlocked talks go to a three-person panel
If mediation does not produce an agreement within 30 days, the dispute must be sent to a three-person arbitration panel, with one pick from each side and one neutral member.
FMCS fills empty panel seats after 14 days
Each side gets 14 days to choose its arbitration panel member. If either side misses that deadline, the Federal Mediation and Conciliation Service would appoint the missing members.
Arbitrators can set a 2-year first contract
A majority of the arbitration panel would issue a binding decision that lasts 2 years unless the employer and union later agree in writing to change it.
Who benefits from H.R. 5408?
Workers who just voted to unionize
Instead of waiting through open-ended negotiations, you would get a timeline: bargaining in 10 days, mediation after 90 days, and arbitration 30 days later if no deal is reached.
Employees worried conditions could change during a long dispute
The bill would keep current wages, hours, and working conditions in place while first-contract talks continue.
Newly recognized unions trying to lock in a first deal
They would gain a formal path to mediation and then binding arbitration, rather than relying only on voluntary progress at the bargaining table.
Congress and labor researchers tracking first-contract delays
H.R. 5408 would require a GAO report within 1 year on how long first contracts are taking after union recognition or certification.
Who is affected by H.R. 5408?
Employers covered by federal labor law
They would have to begin first-contract bargaining quickly, keep existing workplace terms in place during talks, and could end up bound by a 2-year arbitration decision.
New unions and worker representatives
They would also have to move on the bill's schedule, including starting bargaining quickly and choosing an arbitration panel member within 14 days if a case reaches arbitration.
Federal Mediation and Conciliation Service
The agency would take on more mediation work and would be responsible for sending unresolved cases to arbitration and filling panel vacancies when the parties do not act.
Arbitrators deciding first contracts
They would have to weigh the employer's finances, business size and type, workers' living costs, family-support needs, and comparable pay and benefits in the same industry.
What Congress Is Saying
18 legislators have weighed in on H.R. 5408 — 9 Democrats, 9 Republicans.
Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of H.R. 5408, the Faster Labor Contracts Act, which ensures that workers can quickly and efficiently reach a first contract between a union and their employer. It is also one of the many important provisions of the Protecting the Right to Organize Act, or the PRO Act, which critically bolsters working people's ability to organize and form a union while holding union-busting employers accountable. This bill would amend the National Labor Relations Act to require employers to begin negotiations with a newly certified union within 10 days.
H.R. 5408 also appeared in 1 more House floor reference and 15 routine cosponsor filings.
HR5408 Legislative Journey
Sent to Senate
Jun 10, 2026
Received in the Senate.
House: Passed 230-193
Jun 9, 2026
On passage Passed by the Yeas and Nays: 230 - 193 (Roll no. 216). (text: CR H4029-4030)
+5 more actions this day
House: Committee Action
Sep 16, 2025
Referred to the House Committee on Education and Workforce.
About the Sponsor
Donald Norcross
Democrat, New Jersey's 1st congressional district · 12 years in Congress
Committees: Armed Services, Education and Workforce
View full profile →
Cosponsors (110)
This bill has 110 cosponsors: 93 Democrats, 17 Republicans, reflecting bipartisan support. Cosponsors represent 34 states: Arizona, California, Colorado, and 31 more.
Pete Stauber
Republican · MN
Christopher Deluzio
Democrat · PA
Brian Fitzpatrick
Republican · PA
Nikki Budzinski
Democrat · IL
Nicole Malliotakis
Republican · NY
Timothy Kennedy
Democrat · NY
Don Bacon
Republican · NE
Josh Riley
Democrat · NY
Michael Lawler
Republican · NY
Angie Craig
Democrat · MN
Michael Rulli
Republican · OH
Jared Golden
Democrat · ME
Cosponsor Coverage Map
Committee Sponsors
Education and Workforce Committee
10 of 37 committee members cosponsored
7 Democrats across this committee haven't cosponsored yet. Mobilize their constituents
H.R. 5408 Quick Facts
- Committee
- Education and Workforce
- Chamber
- House
- Policy
- Labor and Employment
- Introduced
- Sep 16, 2025
Passed the House, received in Senate
Jun 10, 2026
Official Sources
The official Congress.gov page provides the bill text, status, actions, and summaries for the Faster Labor Contracts Act.
H.R. 5408 amends section 8 of the National Labor Relations Act, codified at 29 U.S.C. 158.
The bill refers to certification or recognition of a representative under section 9(a) of the NLRA, codified at 29 U.S.C. 159.
FMCS is the federal agency the bill assigns to mediate first-contract disputes and refer unresolved cases to arbitration.
This official FMCS page is relevant because the bill would send unresolved first-contract disputes to a three-person arbitration panel.
The bill requires a GAO report on average workplace time-to-contract within one year of enactment.
The NLRB administers federal private-sector labor law and oversees representation elections that lead to union certification referenced in the bill.
This official NLRB page explains collective bargaining rights and provides background for the bill’s first-contract bargaining timelines.
H.R. 5408 Common Questions
How fast would first contract talks have to start under H.R. 5408?
Within 10 days of a written request from a newly recognized union, unless both sides agree to a different schedule.
What happens if a union and employer still have no first contract after 90 days?
Either side could ask the Federal Mediation and Conciliation Service to step in and mediate the dispute.
Does H.R. 5408 force arbitration if mediation fails?
Yes. If there is still no deal 30 days after mediation is requested, the dispute must go to a three-person arbitration panel unless the parties agree to more time.
Could an arbitration panel impose a first union contract?
Yes. A majority of the panel would issue a binding decision, and that contract would stay in effect for 2 years unless both sides later agree to change it in writing.
Can an employer change wages or hours during first-contract talks?
No. H.R. 5408 says employers must keep current wages, hours, and other working conditions in place while bargaining is pending.
Who picks the arbitration panel under H.R. 5408?
The union picks one member, the employer picks one, and both sides choose a neutral third member. If they miss the deadline, FMCS fills the open seats.
What would arbitrators have to consider before setting a first contract?
The bill says they must weigh the employer's finances, business size and type, workers' cost of living, whether wages support families, and what similar employers pay.
Why does H.R. 5408 focus on first union contracts?
Because the bill's findings cite a 2021 Bloomberg Law study showing an average 465-day gap between a successful union vote and a first contract.
Based on H.R. 5408 bill text
H.R. 5408 Bill Text
“To accelerate workplace time-to-contract under the National Labor Relations Act.”
Source: U.S. Government Publishing Office
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