U.S. Senators Cory Booker (D-NJ) and Josh Hawley (R-MO) have introduced a bipartisan bill to accelerate contract negotiations for newly formed unions and prevent corporations from using delay tactics to weaken collective bargaining. The Faster Labor Contracts Act has drawn support from Senators Gary Peters (D-MI), Bernie Moreno (R-OH), and Jeff Merkley (D-OR), signaling a rare bipartisan push to strengthen workers’ rights. The legislation targets a major obstacle for unionized workers—securing an initial contract. While current law requires employers to negotiate in good faith, it does not impose a timeframe for reaching an agreement. As a result, many new unions face lengthy delays, often exceeding a year, as corporations stall negotiations. A Bloomberg Law study from 2021 found that, on average, it takes 465 days for newly unionized workers to obtain their first contract.