WASHINGTON — Legislation from Sen. Josh Hawley, R-Mo. that would empower government arbitrators to dictate union contract terms advanced in Congress after a group of Republicans voted with Democrats, circumventing Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La.
The Faster Labor Contracts Act would grant government-appointed arbitrators authority to impose labor terms on any private-sector business that becomes unionized, regardless of size.
If enacted, the bill would mark the most substantial legislative victory for organized labor since the New Deal era. Social conservatives have warned that unions are a primary source of funding and manpower for progressive political movements.
Union officials, not rank-and-file workers, direct most of that political spending. They control union political contributions and present their agenda as the collective will of workers — a dynamic that has kept organized labor's money flowing to Democratic candidates and causes.
Unions spent $1.8 billion on political activities during the 2024 election cycle. A large share went to progressive voter mobilization groups through grants.
The AFL-CIO funneled more than $107 million to Working America, a voter canvassing operation directly affiliated with the union. The Service Employees International Union allocated nearly $39 million to The Fairness Project, a progressive ballot initiative group that worked to defeat a proposed abortion ban in Hawley's home state of Missouri.
The bill has exposed a divide within the Republican Party over labor policy. Hawley, Sen. Bernie Moreno and Sen. Roger Marshall represent a faction arguing Republicans can win working-class voters by championing worker power.
Organizations like American Compass have pushed for building a conservative labor movement, arguing that giving workers a seat at the table can reverse decades of wage stagnation, restore domestic manufacturing and strengthen national security.
Jace White, manager of government relations at Advancing American Freedom, opposes the bill. White said the measure would give far-left labor unions a faster path to workplace control, allowing them to collect dues and fund what he called their "extremist political machine," which supports abortion rights and radical gender ideology.
Union organizers have also shifted focus toward white-collar professionals as blue-collar workers increasingly question non-work-related activism pushed by union leadership.
The bill's path through the Senate remains uncertain.
