Legislation to Ban Neutrality Agreements
*Updated on 2/28/23*
Bill name: No formal name yet- the bill submitted without a title.
Bill sponsors: H.R. 719, sponsored by Rep. Bob Good (R-VA)
Summary: Legislation was introduced in the House of Representatives to ban union “neutrality agreements,” which is when a company provides organizing assistance to a union seeking to organize the company’s workers. That organizing assistance would be classified as a thing of value, which is prohibited by the Labor Management Relations Act. Rep. Good (R-VA) previously offered this legislation as an amendment to the Protecting the Right to Organize (PRO) Act, though it failed.
Good said, “As someone who worked in a unionized auto factory during college, I saw firsthand the problems unions can create. Unions make American companies less efficient, less profitable, and less competitive, and they cost American jobs. My bill would provide greater fairness and transparency by prohibiting so called “neutrality agreements.”
The bill follows an effort from former National Labor Relations Board General Counsel Peter Robb, during the Trump administration, who argued that a neutrality agreement was a “thing of value” provided by a business to an organizing union and thus a violation of federal law.
Bill Status: H.R. 719 was also introduced in the 117th Congress. During that same Congress, Rep. Good offered the bill as an amendment to the PRO Act during consideration on the House floor. Good’s amendment was defeated on a vote of 185-243 as part of a package of amendments.
Additional Resources
PRESS RELEASE: Rep. Good introduces two bills to Confront Corrupt Union Bosses
April 12, 2021, Good.house.gov
https://good.house.gov/media/press-releases/rep-good-introduces-two-bills-confront-corrupt-union-bosses
BLOG: Nixing “Neutrality”
September 25, 2020, uschamber.com
Sean P. Redmond, U. S. Chamber of Commerce
https://www.uschamber.com/article/nixing-neutrality