Nationwide Right to Unionize Act
Nationwide Right to Unionize Act would repeal the part of the National Labor Relations Act (NLRA) that currently gives states the authority to enact laws prohibiting agreements that require an employee to join a labor organization as a condition of employment. In effect, the bill eliminates the state option to ban mandatory union membership (the so-called “right-to-work” protections) by removing Section 14(b) from the NLRA. The stated goal is to preempt state right-to-work laws and align with a framework in which agreements requiring membership in a labor organization could be permitted at the federal level. The bill was introduced in the House on September 4, 2025, by Representative Sherman and several cosponsors and referred to the Committee on Education and Workforce.
Key Points
- 1Repeals Section 14(b) of the NLRA, removing the authority for states to prohibit agreements requiring union membership as a condition of employment.
- 2The designation “Preempting State Right-to-Work Laws” indicates the bill aims to negate the protective effect of state right-to-work statutes by eliminating the federal basis for those laws.
- 3By removing the state option to bar membership-based employment requirements, the bill would standardize (across states) the potential for unions to seek membership or dues as a condition of employment, within the federal framework.
- 4The bill’s title—Nationwide Right to Unionize Act—signals a shift toward greater emphasis on unionization rights at a national level, potentially reducing variation in state labor-relations policies.
- 5Legislative status: Introduced in the House (H.R. 5159) and referred to the Committee on Education and Workforce; sponsor list includes Rep. Sherman and multiple cosponsors, with no Senate companion noted in the provided text.