,,ii  #aaith ,,congress  #ast ,session  
,s4 #hdd  ,,in ,,the ,,senate ,,of ,,the
 ,,united ,,states  ,march #d1 #bjbe,mr4
 ,hawley 7for himself1 ,mr4 ,booker1    
,mr4 ,peters1 ,mr4 ,moreno1 and ,mr4    
,merkley7 introduced the following bill2
 which was read twice and referred to   
the ,committee on ,health1 ,education1  
,labor1 and ,pensions  ,a ,,bill  ,to   
accelerate workplace time-to-contract   
under the ,national ,labor ,relations   
,act4  #a4 ,short title ,this ,act may  
be cited as the ,faster ,labor          
,contracts ,act4  #b4 ,findings         
,congress finds the following3 7#a7     
,employees in the ,united ,states have a
 right to organize collectively in order
 to secure higher wages and other       
benefits1 and regularly exercise that   
right by voting to be represented by a  
labor organization in their workplaces4 
7#b7 ,a successful vote in favor of     
representation by a labor organization  
does not immediately lead to an         
agreement between the parties4 ,often   

the negotiation process is difficult and
 protracted1 taking a year or longer4   
7#c7 ,research indicates that these     
contracting delays are increasing over  
time4 ,a ,bloomberg ,law study from     
#bjba found that the average number of  
days between a vote in favor of         
representation by a labor organization  
and a contract entered into between the 
parties was #dfe days4  7#d7 ,delays in 
the processing of collective bargaining 
contracts primarily benefit employers   
opposed to representation by the labor  
organization4 ,the employers can use    
those delays to sap labor organization  
resolve and secure more favorable terms 
for the employer4  7#e7 ,in order for   
employees in the ,united ,states to     
fully enjoy the benefits guaranteed to  
them by ,federal labor law1 those       
employees must be able to promptly      
secure a first contract following the   
legal recognition or certification of a 
labor organization1 and ,federal labor  
law ought to facilitate this expediency4

  #c4 ,facilitating initial collective  
bargaining agreements ,section #h of the
 ,national ,labor ,relations ,act 7#bi  
,u4,s4,c4 #aeh7 is amended-- 7#a7 in    
subsection 7d7-- 7,a7 by redesignating  
paragraphs 7#a7 through 7#d7 as         
subparagraphs 7,a7 through 7,d71        
respectively2  7,b7 by striking ,for the
 purposes of this section and inserting 
7#a7 ,for the purposes of this section2 
7,c7 by inserting 7and to maintain      
current wages1 hours1 and terms and     
conditions of employment pending an     
agreement7 after arising thereunder2    
7,d7 by inserting 3 ,provided1 ,that an 
employer's duty to collectively bargain 
shall continue absent decertification of
 the representative following an        
election conducted pursuant to section  
#i after making of a concession2  7,e7  
by inserting further before 1 ,that     
where there is in effect2  7,f7 by      
striking ,the duties imposed and        
inserting 7#b7 ,the duties imposed2     
7,g7 by striking by paragraphs 7#b71    

7#c71 and 7#d7 and inserting by         
subparagraphs 7,b71 7,c71 and 7,d7 of   
paragraph 7#a72  7,h7 by striking       
section #h7;d77#a7 and inserting        
paragraph 7#a77;,a72  7,i7 by striking  
section #h7;d77#c7 each place it appears
 and inserting paragraph 7#a77;,c72     
7,j7 by striking section #h7;d77#d7 and 
inserting paragraph 7#a77;,d72 and  7,k7
 by adding at the end the following3    
7#c7 ,whenever collective bargaining is 
for the purpose of establishing an      
initial collective bargaining agreement 
following certification or recognition  
of an individual or labor organization  
as a representative as provided under   
section #i7;a71 the following shall     
apply3 7,a7 ,not later than #aj days    
after receiving a written request for   
collective bargaining from an individual
 or labor organization that has been    
newly recognized or certified as a      
representative as provided under section
 #i7;a71 or within such further period  
as the parties agree upon1 the parties  

shall meet and begin bargaining         
collectively1 and shall make every      
reasonable effort to conclude and sign a
 collective bargaining agreement4  7,b7 
,if after the expiration of the #ij-;day
 period beginning on the date on which  
bargaining is commenced1 or such        
additional period as the parties may    
agree upon1 the parties have failed to  
reach an agreement1 either party may    
notify the ,federal ,mediation and      
,conciliation ,service that a dispute   
exists1 and may request mediation4      
,whenever such a request is received1   
the ,service shall promptly communicate 
with the parties and use its best       
efforts1 by mediation and conciliation1 
to secure an agreement4  7,c7 ,if after 
the expiration of the #cj-;day period   
beginning on the date on which the      
request for mediation is made under     
subparagraph 7,b71 or such additional   
period as the parties may agree upon1   
the ,service is not able to bring the   
parties to agreement by conciliation1   

the ,service shall refer the dispute to 
a #c-person arbitration panel           
established in accordance with such     
regulations as may be prescribed by the 
,service1 with one member selected by   
the individual or labor organization1   
one member selected by the employer1 and
 one neutral member mutually agreed to  
by the parties4 ,the individual or labor
 organization and the employer must each
 select the members of the #c-person    
arbitration panel within #ad days of the
 ,service's referral2 if the individual 
or labor organization or the employer   
fail to do so1 the ,service shall       
designate any members not selected by   
the individual or labor organization or 
by the employer4 ,a majority of the     
#c-person arbitration panel shall render
 a decision settling the dispute and    
such decision shall be binding upon the 
parties for a period of #b years1 unless
 amended during such period by written  
consent of the parties4 ,such decision  
shall be based on-- 7i7 the employer's  

financial status and prospects2  7ii7   
the size and type of the employer's     
operations and business2  7iii7 the     
employees' cost of living2  7iv7 the    
employees' ability to sustain           
themselves1 their families1 and their   
dependents on the wages and benefits    
they earn from the employer2 and  7v7   
the wages and benefits other employers  
in the same business provide their      
employees4  2 and  7#b7 in subsection   
7g71 by striking clause 7,b7 of the last
 sentence of section #h7;d7 of this ,act
 and inserting subsection 7d77#b77;,b74 
#d4 ,,gao report examining average      
workplace time-to-contract ,not later   
than #a year after the date of enactment
 of this ,act1 the ,comptroller ,general
 of the ,united ,states shall submit to 
,congress a report examining the average
 number of days between-- 7#a7 the date 
on which an individual or labor         
organization is certified or recognized 
as the representative of employees under
 section #i7;a7 of the ,national ,labor 

,relations ,act 7#bi ,u4,s4,c4          
#aei7;a771 following the date of        
enactment of this ,act2 and  7#b7 the   
date on which the parties enter into an 
initial collective bargaining agreement4