TEAMSTERS JOIN LEGISLATORS FOR INTRODUCTION OF FASTER LABOR CONTRACTS ACT
O'Brien, Rank-and-File Teamsters Urge Passage of Critical Labor Law Reform
WASHINGTON, Sept. 16, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- Today, Teamsters General President Sean M. O'Brien and Teamsters members from Corewell Health East and Breakthru Beverage joined Representatives Donald Norcross (D-NJ, 1st District), Pete Stauber (R-MN, 8th District), and union allies for the introduction of the Faster Labor Contracts Act.
This legislation would require employers to collectively bargain with newly organized workers within 10 days of voting to form their union.
"When passed, the Faster Labor Contracts Act will put working families in this country back at the center of the American economy, and it has the potential to transform entire industries for the better," O'Brien said. "This legislation is one of the most consequential bills for organized labor in generations. The Teamsters Union is calling on Congress to take this bipartisan bill seriously and pass it."
In the fall of 2024, 10,000 nurses at Corewell Health East in Michigan and 160 Breakthru Beverage drivers in Florida organized with the Teamsters Union and are currently working to secure their first collective bargaining agreements. Teamsters joined lawmakers to share their experience fighting for a first contract and made the case for passage of the bill.
"The Faster Labor Contracts Act would make it so companies can't drag their feet during contract negotiations, like Breakthru Beverage has been doing," said Yuniel Sancillena, a member of Teamsters Local 79 and a 10-year driver at Breakthru Beverage. "This legislation would force management to come back to the table and hammer out a deal or face stiff penalties."
The bill was originally introduced in the Senate earlier this year by Senators Josh Hawley (R-MO) and Cory Booker (D-NJ) and has continued to gain strong bipartisan, bicameral support.
"The fact that the Faster Labor Contracts Act has bipartisan support is the icing on the cake, and it drives home the point that the future of the working class in this country should never be a partisan issue," said Jason Fratangelo, a nurse at Corewell Health East and member of Teamsters Local 2024. "This legislation will discourage employers from dragging their feet at the negotiating table, which is exactly what Corewell Health East is trying to do right now with 10,000 Teamsters nurses."
Founded in 1903, the International Brotherhood of Teamsters represents over 1.3 million hardworking people in the U.S., Canada, and Puerto Rico. Visit Teamster.org for more information. Follow us on X @Teamsters and on Facebook at Facebook.com/teamsters.
Contact:
Kara Deniz, (202) 497-6610
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SOURCE International Brotherhood of Teamsters
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