119th CONGRESS
1st Session
H. R. 6142


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.


IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

November 19, 2025

Mr. Harris of North Carolina (for himself, Mr. Onder, and Mr. Fine) introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on Education and Workforce


A BILL

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.

Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America in Congress assembled,

SECTION 1. Short title.

This Act may be cited as the “Ask the Union Members Act”.

SEC. 2. Secret ballot for ratification and strike authorization.

(a) Contract ratification requirements.—Section 101(a) of the Labor-Management Reporting and Disclosure Act of 1959 (29 U.S.C. 411(a)) is amended by adding at the end the following:

“(6) Contract ratification.—A collective bargaining agreement may not be executed by a labor organization unless such agreement is approved to be ratified by a majority vote of the members of such labor organization in good standing voting in a referendum conducted by secret ballot, after providing such agreement to each member of the labor organization not later than 72 hours prior to such referendum.”.

(b) Strike authorization requirements.—Section 8(b) of the National Labor Relations Act (29 U.S.C. 158(b)) is amended—

(1) in paragraph (6), by striking “and” at the end;

(2) in paragraph (7), by striking the period at the end and inserting “; and”; and

(3) by adding at the end the following:

“(8) to authorize a strike, unless such strike is approved to be authorized by a majority vote of the members in good standing voting in a referendum conducted by secret ballot.”.

(c) Effective date.—The amendments made by this Act shall take effect beginning on the date that is 18 months after the date of enactment of this Act.