Providing for Consideration of H.R. Faster Labor Contracts Act

Floor Speech

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Mr. CASAR. Mr. Speaker, I rise today for us to pass the Faster Labor Contracts Act tonight in the U.S. House to uphold the fundamental right for all American workers, the right to bargain collectively for a fair contract.

American workers marched, bled, and died for the right to form a union. They marched, bled, and died for the right to join together and bargain for fair wages and working conditions.

However, for far too many Americans, that right exists in name only because far too often employers drag out contract negotiations for weeks, months, and then years. On average, it takes more than 465 days to secure a first union contract. That is 465 days that workers go without fair wages, benefits, and the protections that they have earned. That is unacceptable.

Today, we say: When you exercise your fundamental rights to organize a union, you deserve a contract without needless delay. After we do our job in the House, the Senate should pass this bill without delay.

I am very grateful to the ranking member and to Mr. Norcross for this effort. I also want to say a word about how the bill came to the floor. The bill itself is critically important, but today's vote is about more than any one bill.

After the Speaker refused to bring the bill to the floor, working people got to work and organized 218 signatures needed to force this vote. This vote sends a clear message that when working people stand together, we can win under the most difficult of circumstances.

It is happening more and more. Just this Congress, we have stood together to demand a vote on collective bargaining for Federal workers, the right to form a union, affordable healthcare, defense for the people of Ukraine, and the rights of those with temporary protected status.

The vote sends a message that the Speaker may hold the gavel, but in the United States of America, working people are still in charge.

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