Posts tagged U.S. Senate
GOP’s populists flex muscles with wins on Capitol Hill
May 29, 2026 // F. Vincent Vernuccio, president of the Institute for the American Worker think tank, which has argued against the bill, pointed to hesitation that one union official expressed about that format in a Senate hearing last year, calling it undemocratic. “It takes away the whole point of a union because it takes away the vote from workers, and that’s exactly what the Faster Labor Contracts Act would do,” Vernuccio told The Hill. “If the union and the employer can’t come to an agreement within 120 days, this arbitration panel that’s appointed by government bureaucrats would write everything in that contract.”
Op-ed: Senators should ignore this anti-Trump bill
January 11, 2026 // Taxpayers spent over $200 million in 2024 alone on official time, despite the fact that unions are overtly political organizations that almost exclusively support the Democratic party and its priorities. By taking on union bosses’ time-wasting “bargaining” activities, Trump’s executive orders are helping the government operate more efficiently.
States’ substitutes for NLRB falter in court
January 5, 2026 // Troy Nunley, the chief judge in the Eastern District of California, ruled that the bulk of the state statute is in conflict with the National Labor Relations Act and therefore is preempted by federal law. “In some respect, the Board’s inability to fully function due to the lack of quorum shows the NLRA is operating as intended,” wrote Nunley, an Obama appointee. “The Court thus cannot conclude the loss of quorum equates to the NLRB ceding its jurisdiction over any particular matter.”
House strips its own provision protecting Defense civilians’ union rights from NDAA
December 11, 2025 // A source familiar with congressional negotiations said that the bipartisan language effectively nullifying President Trump’s anti-union executive orders as they pertain to the Pentagon was dropped due to lack of support in the Senate.
U.S. Senate Vote Next Week Set to Restore NLRB Quorum
December 9, 2025 // For the first time in 11 months, the National Labor Relations Board will likely have a quorum by year end, enabling it to start issuing decisions. Board member nominee Scott Mayer, a chief corporate labor counsel, was a last-minute addition to the U.S. Senate nominee package that will be voted on next week. The nominee package already included Board nominee James Murphy and General Counsel nominee Crystal Carey. If the Senate confirms all three nominees, Carey’s term will last four years, with Mayer and Murphy’s terms expiring December 16, 2029, and December 16, 2027, respectively
Opinion: The Senate can stop the NLRB’s threats to American freedom
December 8, 2025 // Trump’s nominees will restore the balance and discipline needed to repair the NLRB’s legitimacy and credibility with American workers. They understand that the NLRB’s role is not to pick winners and losers, but to protect workers’ rights and uphold secret ballots, as well as ensure union accountability and that information is not hidden from workers. Confirming them would restore the constitutional guardrails that keep government honest and workplaces free.
Starbucks Strike Enters Third Week Deadlocked With Both Sides Holding Firm
December 2, 2025 // While the union is waiting for the company to put forward “new proposals that address union baristas’ demands,” Starbucks is holding out for contract negotiations to resume. The company has made clear that the union’s pay demands, such as a 65% wage increase, are untenable, since the company already offers one of the best wage and benefit packages in retail, totaling $30 per hour for workers who average 20 hours or more per week. Supporting that claim, Starbucks receives more than a million job applications per year and has a turnover rate that is less than half that of the retail industry. To date, the company has made no statement regarding the ULP allegations. However, in June 2024, the Supreme Court ruled in favor of Starbucks, finding that it followed the law after terminating seven Memphis employees during unionization efforts.
Congress Can Empower Workers Through Choice—Not Coercion
November 24, 2025 // A case in point is the legislative package that Sen. Bill Cassidy (R-La.) introduced on Nov. 10, joined by others including Sens. Tommy Tuberville (R-Ala.) and Tim Scott (R-S.C). They’d protect workers’ paychecks by requiring unions to get approval before spending dues money on politics. They’d also protect workers’ privacy by letting them choose what contact information unions get during the organizing process. And they’d protect workplace democracy by requiring that at least two-thirds of workers participate in union elections — preventing a minority of people from determining the fate of every employee. Another praiseworthy reform is the Employee Rights Act, which Scott introduced in the shutdown’s early days after Rep. Rick Allen (R-Ga.) previously introduced it in the House. Among its many good ideas, the Employee Rights Act guarantees the secret ballot and protects workers from intimidation and harassment. It also gives unionized workers in the 26 right-to-work states the freedom to negotiate their own contract with their employer, so they can better address their individual needs. And the Employee Rights Act guarantees that self-employed workers have maximum flexibility to design their jobs to fit their lives.
Foxx: Block on ‘Big Labor’ a commonsense move by U.S. Senate
December 18, 2024 // "Thankfully, his colleagues had enough commonsense to stop a move that dramatically undercuts the will of the voters, and I look forward to the Trump administration enacting a truly pro-worker agenda." Republicans will have a 53-47 majority in the Senate come January, ending Schumer's time as leader. Foxx herself is also changing positions; she will be succeeded by Rep. Tim Walberg, R-Mich., as chairman of the Committee on Education & The Workforce in the U.S. House.
Why Manchin took down a nominee for the National Labor Relations Board
December 12, 2024 // Manchin told Semafor that supporters were “playing hardball” to get his vote but he had already told them he would not vote for McFerran due to her support for the joint-employer regulation broadening the reach of labor laws. “Hell yes, they know,” Manchin said. The vote was tied 49-49, with all Republicans opposed as well as Sen. Kyrsten Sinema. Manchin returned before Vice President Kamala Harris could break the tie. “The only thing they could do is catch me when I’m not there,” Manchin said.