A coalition of labor law scholars, former federal labor officials, worker advocates, and union leaders has developed a Model State Sectoral Bargaining Law designed to bolster worker power at the state level. This initiative seeks to provide a framework for workers to negotiate broader agreements on wages, benefits, and working conditions, particularly for those not adequately covered by current federal labor laws.
The proposed model law would grant workers the ability to petition a State Labor Standards Board for the recognition of a bargaining sector. Once minimum support thresholds are met, workers would receive organizing and access rights. The law establishes a process for workers and employers to negotiate sector-wide agreements. These agreements would be binding on all employers within a covered sector, with individual workplace agreements permitted to exceed, but not fall below, the sector-wide standards.
Proponents argue that states can act to ensure that workers overlooked by federal legislation can improve their standards. "States have an opportunity to build the infrastructure of worker power that this country will need in the years ahead," stated Sharon Block and Benjamin Sachs, who contributed to the development of the model law.
This approach addresses a perceived gap in federal labor protections, offering states a pathway to create new avenues for collective bargaining and potentially reshape labor dynamics. The model law also includes provisions for negotiating terms related to the use of artificial intelligence and other workplace technologies within these sector-wide agreements.