To require union contract votes to be carried out through a secret ballot election, to prohibit unions from authorizing strikes unless a majority of members of the union vote to authorize a strike, and for other purposes.
Sponsors
Legislative Progress
IntroducedMr. Harris of North Carolina (for himself, Mr. Onder, and …
Summary
What This Bill Does
The "Ask the Union Members Act" requires all labor unions to use secret ballot elections when voting on two critical decisions: approving contracts with employers and authorizing strikes. Union leadership would no longer be able to make these decisions without a direct vote of the membership, and members must be given at least 72 hours to review any contract before voting on it.
Who Benefits and How
Individual union members benefit by gaining guaranteed voting rights on their union's most important decisions - whether to accept a contract or go on strike. Workers who feel their union leadership doesn't represent their interests gain a direct voice. Employers may also benefit because the secret ballot requirement could make strikes less likely and slow down contract ratification processes, potentially giving them negotiating leverage. Anti-union advocacy groups benefit from new procedural requirements that add administrative complexity to union operations and could weaken union effectiveness.
Who Bears the Burden and How
Labor unions face significant new compliance costs to conduct secret ballot elections, verify member eligibility, provide 72-hour advance notice of contracts, and maintain voting records. Union leadership loses the flexibility to quickly ratify time-sensitive contracts or authorize rapid-response strikes without waiting for membership votes. This is particularly burdensome during urgent labor disputes where quick action is strategically important. Unions operating on tight budgets will face administrative expenses for conducting multiple secret ballot elections throughout the year.
Key Provisions
- Amends the Labor-Management Reporting and Disclosure Act to require secret ballot votes for all contract ratifications
- Mandates 72-hour advance notice before any contract ratification vote, giving members time to review
- Amends the National Labor Relations Act to require secret ballot votes to authorize any strike
- All votes must be approved by a majority of "members in good standing" who participate in the referendum
- Takes effect 18 months after the bill becomes law, giving unions time to implement new procedures
Evidence Chain:
This summary is derived from the structured analysis below. See "Detailed Analysis" for per-title beneficiaries/burden bearers with clause-level evidence links.
Primary Purpose
Requires labor unions to conduct secret ballot votes for contract ratification and strike authorization, with 72-hour notice for contract votes
Policy Domains
Legislative Strategy
"Increase member control over union decision-making by mandating democratic voting processes"
Likely Beneficiaries
- Individual union members seeking greater voice in union decisions
- Employers who may benefit from reduced strike activity
- Anti-union advocacy groups promoting union transparency
- Workers who feel union leadership doesn't represent their interests
Likely Burden Bearers
- Union leadership (reduced discretion in contract execution and strike authorization)
- Labor organizations (administrative costs for conducting secret ballot votes)
- Unions in time-sensitive negotiations (72-hour notice requirement may slow contract ratification)
Bill Structure & Actor Mappings
Who is "The Secretary" in each section?
Key Definitions
Terms defined in this bill
A contract between a labor organization and employer governing wages, hours, and working conditions
We use a combination of our own taxonomy and classification in addition to large language models to assess meaning and potential beneficiaries. High confidence means strong textual evidence. Always verify with the original bill text.
Learn more about our methodology