A bill championed by the Teamsters, the Faster Labor Contracts Act (FLCA), has passed the House and needs to pass the Senate. It’s an uphill battle to win Senate approval. Here’s why it would be a huge victory to pass it.
Workers wait an average of 458 days to win a first contract after they vote to join a union.
Employers delay as a union-busting tactic, dragging out negotiations to wear down and demoralize workers and bust the union. Many newly organized units never get a contract, depriving workers of the right to a union.
The FLCA would require employers to begin bargaining within 10 days of union certification and would create a faster path to a first contract. Workers could start building union power quicker and be assured that they will secure a first contract.
If an agreement cannot be reached within 90 days of bargaining, either party has the right to request mediation. If a month of mediation does not establish a contract, a three-person arbitration committee will render a contract with a two-year expiration date.
The language of the FLCA comes straight out of the PRO Act, a more comprehensive bill that includes the FLCA and protect workers’ rights to unionize.
Winning the FLCA would also be a step toward winning the PRO Act.
Forcing Amazon to Sign a Contract
The Teamsters have organized more than 10,000 Amazon workers at various UPS facilities from California to New York. Amazon has refused to bargain with these workers, denying them the right to bargain and secure a union contract.
The FLCA would force Amazon to bargain, and if they don’t settle a contract, the IBT could declare an impasse and a panel of arbitrators would rule and put 10,000 Amazon Teamsters under the first union contract with Amazon in the U.S.
The FLCA specifies that the arbitration panel must consider the financial health of the employer, the cost of living for the workers, and what other employers in the industry pay.
Amazon pays far less than UPS, the postal service, and nonunion FedEx.
Through the FLCA, the Teamsters would win a contractual foothold at Amazon to demonstrate to all Amazon workers the benefits of unionizing.
Starbucks
Another example of the need for the FLCA is the organizing at Starbucks. Over 15,000 workers at 700 Starbucks outlets have voted to join Starbucks Workers United, an affiliate of the SEIU.
The corporation refuses to bargain, and striking to win a contract would be risky.
The FLCA would give the union a contract victory and a strong step to unionize more of the company and other retail employers.
Union approval is high, but only a small share of workers actually belong to a union.
Why Canada Has Double the Rate of Unionization
The United States has some of the weakest protections for workers trying to win a first contract. In Canada workers have the equivalent of the FLCA, for reaching a first contract when negotiations stall.
Canada has more than double the percentage of unionized workers than the United States.
Making it easier for workers to turn organizing victories into strong contracts is an important part of rebuilding the labor movement.
Organizing and Winning Contracts
Winning a union election is a major victory. But it is only the beginning, as the Amazon and Starbucks examples show.
The law should not give employers a built-in path to bust unions. Workers who vote for a union should be able to negotiate a contract.
The FLCA would not organize workers for us. Workers will still have to build strong committees, win their elections, and fight for good contracts. But it would make it harder for employers to use endless negotiations or outright union busting to avoid signing a union contract.
Put an End to Legal Limbo
“Currently, the law is on the employers’ side: allowing them to utilize every stall tactic available, hoping to drain the energy, strength, and funds of the union that the employees chose to represent them.
This law is a necessary first step to protect employees’ ability to actually bargain with their employers, instead of being forced to languish in a purgatory waiting for their employer to give them the respect of scheduling a bargaining day.”
- Whitney Armstrong — UnityPoint, Local 90, Des Moines
A Boost to Amazon Organizing
“I organize with Amazon workers who joined the Teamsters years ago and still don’t have a contract. And I’ve worked with dozens of groups who never joined the union because they were afraid they would never get a first contract.
Amazon organizing would take off like wildfire if first contracts were guaranteed within 100 days.”
- Antonio Rosario — Amazon Organizer, Local 804, New York