Scoop: Hawley leads bipartisan pro-labor push

Zoom in: The Faster Labor Contracts Act aims to prevent employers from stalling union contract negotiations — requiring talks to begin within 10 days, rather than put off for years.

• The bill is being cosponsored by Sen. Bernie Moreno (R-Ohio) as well as three Democrats — Sens. Cory Booker (D-N.J.), Jeff Merkley (D-Ore.) and Gary Peters (D-Mich.)
• It also has backing by The Teamsters, one of the largest U.S. labor unions, which notably declined to endorse either presidential candidate in 2024.

The big picture: Trump and GOP leaders see an opportunity for a new, working-class coalition, which includes more union outreach.

• They are following through on the new support they saw from union workers last year — both with the new legislation and a nominee like Chavez-DeRemer, who is expected to lose GOP votes over of her pro-labor position.

What they're saying: "Despite exercising their legal—and moral—right to bargain collectively, workers are often prevented from enjoying the benefits of the union they voted to form when mega-corporations drag their feet," Hawley said in a statement provided to Axios.

• "Greedy corporations will stop at nothing to keep workers from getting a fair first contract," Teamsters General President Sean O'Brien said in a statement to Axios.
• "Teamsters are proud to support the Faster Labor Contracts Act—real labor law reform that forces employers to bargain in good faith and holds them accountable when they don't," O'Brien continued.