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S 2729119th CongressIn Committee

Nationwide Right To Unionize Act

Introduced: Sep 4, 2025
Sponsor: Sen. Warren, Elizabeth [D-MA] (D-Massachusetts)
Labor & Employment
Standard Summary
Comprehensive overview in 1-2 paragraphs

Nationwide Right To Unionize Act is a Senate bill that would repeal a key provision of the National Labor Relations Act (NLRA)—specifically, Section 14(b), which currently authorizes states to enact right-to-work laws prohibiting agreements that require union membership as a condition of employment. By repealing that subsection, the bill would remove the federal permission for states to ban union-security agreements, thereby allowing, or at least not preventing, agreements that require union membership or dues as a condition of employment across the country. The stated goal in the title is to strengthen the ability of workers to unionize, though the measure is framed as removing state-level barriers to such arrangements. The text provided covers only this repeal; no other substantive provisions are shown.

Key Points

  • 1Repeals Subsection (b) of Section 14 of the NLRA (29 U.S.C. 164), which currently enables states to pass right-to-work laws prohibiting membership-in-employment agreements.
  • 2Ends the federal preemption that lets states ban union-security agreements, effectively removing state-level protection against mandatory union membership or dues as a condition of employment.
  • 3The bill is titled to promote nationwide unionization rights, signaling a shift toward greater use of union-security provisions in employment contracts, subject to the NLRA framework.
  • 4Only Section 2 is shown here (the repeal); the full bill text may contain additional provisions not provided in the excerpt.
  • 5Introduced in the Senate (Sept. 4, 2025) with sponsors including Elizabeth Warren and several co-sponsors; referred to the Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions.

Impact Areas

Primary group/area affected: Private-sector workers and employers in unionized environments, and labor unions. If enacted, states could no longer rely on right-to-work laws to prohibit membership-due requirements; union-security agreements could become more common and enforceable through contracts.Secondary group/area affected: State and local governments (loss of authority to enact or enforce right-to-work protections), labor relations institutions (e.g., NLRB), and human resources practices across industries as contract terms may increasingly include union membership obligations.Additional impacts: Potential implications for wages, benefits, and overall labor costs due to dues or membership requirements; possible legal and political pushback or challenges around states’ regulatory authority over employment terms; potential shifts in state-by-state labor policy once federal law is adjusted.
Generated by gpt-5-nano on Oct 8, 2025