Sets deadlines for employers and newly recognized unions to reach a first contract, with federal mediation and then a binding three-person arbitration panel if talks stall.

• Requires the parties to begin bargaining within 10 days of a written request and make every reasonable effort to sign a contract.
• If no agreement is reached within 90 days, either side may request mediation from the Federal Mediation and Conciliation Service.
• If mediation fails within 30 days, a three-member panel decides the dispute, and its decision binds the parties for 2 years, based on the employer's finances, the workers' cost of living, and pay at comparable employers.
• Requires the Comptroller General to report to Congress within 1 year on the average days between union certification and a first contract.

• Education and Workforce Committee (House)

Labor and Employment