# 119-s-852: Richard L. Trumka Protecting the Right to Organize Act of 2025

119-s-852, Richard L. Trumka Protecting the Right to Organize Act of 2025, is a 119th Congress bill sponsored by Sen. Sanders, Bernard [I-VT] (I-VT); status introduced; PRIA reads it as touching household money (as of 2025-12-21).

- Canonical: https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-s-852
- As of: 2025-12-21
- Plain-text twin of the page above; the HTML and this file carry the same facts.

## Facts
- Bill: 119-s-852
- Congress: 119
- Title: Richard L. Trumka Protecting the Right to Organize Act of 2025
- Status: introduced
- Introduced: 2025-03-05
- Sponsor: Sen. Sanders, Bernard [I-VT] (I-VT)
- Cosponsors: 45
- Policy area: Labor and Employment
- Touches household money: yes
- Last recorded action: 2025-12-21

## Summary

**Strengthens worker organizing rights and enforcement.** The bill would expand who counts as employees and joint employers, speed representation and bargaining, require voter lists and workplace postings, and increase penalties and remedies for unfair labor practices. - Workers and jobseekers: Would broaden employee coverage and set a three-factor test that presumes employee status unless all three criteria are met. It would protect use of employer-provided electronic communications for organizing and clarify that the duration or pattern of strikes does not strip protection. - Employers and bargaining: Would require employers to provide unions detailed voter lists and timely notices. It would force a fast initial bargaining process with mandatory mediation and binding arbitration if negotiations fail. - Enforcement and remedies: Would expand National Labor Relations Board authority, allow private civil suits after a waiting period, make Board orders immediately effective, and raise civil penalties for unfair labor practices to up to $50,000 per violation and up to $100,000 for repeat or aggravated offenses.

## Cosponsors (45)

- Sen. Murray, Patty [D-WA] (D-WA), 2025-03-05T00:00:00.000Z
- Sen. Schumer, Charles E. [D-NY] (D-NY), 2025-03-05T00:00:00.000Z
- Sen. Alsobrooks, Angela D. [D-MD] (D-MD), 2025-03-05T00:00:00.000Z
- Sen. Baldwin, Tammy [D-WI] (D-WI), 2025-03-05T00:00:00.000Z
- Sen. Bennet, Michael F. [D-CO] (D-CO), 2025-03-05T00:00:00.000Z
- Sen. Blumenthal, Richard [D-CT] (D-CT), 2025-03-05T00:00:00.000Z
- Sen. Blunt Rochester, Lisa [D-DE] (D-DE), 2025-03-05T00:00:00.000Z
- Sen. Booker, Cory A. [D-NJ] (D-NJ), 2025-03-05T00:00:00.000Z
- Sen. Cantwell, Maria [D-WA] (D-WA), 2025-03-05T00:00:00.000Z
- Sen. Coons, Christopher A. [D-DE] (D-DE), 2025-03-05T00:00:00.000Z
- Sen. Cortez Masto, Catherine [D-NV] (D-NV), 2025-03-05T00:00:00.000Z
- Sen. Duckworth, Tammy [D-IL] (D-IL), 2025-03-05T00:00:00.000Z
- Sen. Durbin, Richard J. [D-IL] (D-IL), 2025-03-05T00:00:00.000Z
- Sen. Fetterman, John [D-PA] (D-PA), 2025-03-05T00:00:00.000Z
- Sen. Gallego, Ruben [D-AZ] (D-AZ), 2025-03-05T00:00:00.000Z
- Sen. Gillibrand, Kirsten E. [D-NY] (D-NY), 2025-03-05T00:00:00.000Z
- Sen. Hassan, Margaret Wood [D-NH] (D-NH), 2025-03-05T00:00:00.000Z
- Sen. Heinrich, Martin [D-NM] (D-NM), 2025-03-05T00:00:00.000Z
- Sen. Hickenlooper, John W. [D-CO] (D-CO), 2025-03-05T00:00:00.000Z
- Sen. Hirono, Mazie K. [D-HI] (D-HI), 2025-03-05T00:00:00.000Z
- Sen. Kaine, Tim [D-VA] (D-VA), 2025-03-05T00:00:00.000Z
- Sen. Kelly, Mark [D-AZ] (D-AZ), 2025-03-05T00:00:00.000Z
- Sen. Kim, Andy [D-NJ] (D-NJ), 2025-03-05T00:00:00.000Z
- Sen. King, Angus S., Jr. [I-ME] (I-ME), 2025-03-05T00:00:00.000Z
- Sen. Klobuchar, Amy [D-MN] (D-MN), 2025-03-05T00:00:00.000Z
- Sen. Luján, Ben Ray [D-NM] (D-NM), 2025-03-05T00:00:00.000Z
- Sen. Markey, Edward J. [D-MA] (D-MA), 2025-03-05T00:00:00.000Z
- Sen. Merkley, Jeff [D-OR] (D-OR), 2025-03-05T00:00:00.000Z
- Sen. Murphy, Christopher [D-CT] (D-CT), 2025-03-05T00:00:00.000Z
- Sen. Ossoff, Jon [D-GA] (D-GA), 2025-03-05T00:00:00.000Z
- Sen. Padilla, Alex [D-CA] (D-CA), 2025-03-05T00:00:00.000Z
- Sen. Peters, Gary C. [D-MI] (D-MI), 2025-03-05T00:00:00.000Z
- Sen. Reed, Jack [D-RI] (D-RI), 2025-03-05T00:00:00.000Z
- Sen. Rosen, Jacky [D-NV] (D-NV), 2025-03-05T00:00:00.000Z
- Sen. Schatz, Brian [D-HI] (D-HI), 2025-03-05T00:00:00.000Z
- Sen. Schiff, Adam B. [D-CA] (D-CA), 2025-03-05T00:00:00.000Z
- Sen. Shaheen, Jeanne [D-NH] (D-NH), 2025-03-05T00:00:00.000Z
- Sen. Slotkin, Elissa [D-MI] (D-MI), 2025-03-05T00:00:00.000Z
- Sen. Smith, Tina [D-MN] (D-MN), 2025-03-05T00:00:00.000Z
- Sen. Van Hollen, Chris [D-MD] (D-MD), 2025-03-05T00:00:00.000Z
- Sen. Warnock, Raphael G. [D-GA] (D-GA), 2025-03-05T00:00:00.000Z
- Sen. Warren, Elizabeth [D-MA] (D-MA), 2025-03-05T00:00:00.000Z
- Sen. Welch, Peter [D-VT] (D-VT), 2025-03-05T00:00:00.000Z
- Sen. Whitehouse, Sheldon [D-RI] (D-RI), 2025-03-05T00:00:00.000Z
- Sen. Wyden, Ron [D-OR] (D-OR), 2025-03-05T00:00:00.000Z

## Provisions PRIA read

- Faster relief and larger damage awards: benefit, high. If enacted, charges alleging serious unfair labor practices would get fast investigations and quick court relief. If the Board finds a violation, workers could get full back pay, front pay, and consequential damages. They could also get liquidated damages equal to two times awarded damages. Workers…
- More workers treated as employees: benefit, high. If enacted, most people who do work would be presumed employees unless three strict conditions are all met. The bill tightens joint‑employer rules to cover indirect or reserved control. It also narrows who counts as a supervisor. Misrepresenting a worker as a contractor would be an unfair labor pra…
- Ban on employer coercion and forced waivers: benefit, medium. If enacted, employers could not force employees to attend campaign activities unrelated to job duties. Most pre‑dispute class or collective waivers would be invalid and unenforceable. Employers could not promise to permanently replace strikers or punish workers for striking. The bill would also nar…
- Speeding up union elections and voter lists: benefit, medium. If enacted, the Board would speed election timelines and require fast pre‑election hearings. Employers would have to give unions a detailed voter list within two business days. Elections would be scheduled by the 20th business day after direction unless paused for a timely unfair labor charge. The…
- Higher fines and faster NLRB enforcement: cost, medium. If enacted, Board orders would take effect on issuance and the NLRB could seek quick injunctions and daily penalties for noncompliance. Employers could face civil penalties up to $50,000 per unfair labor violation, and up to $100,000 for serious or repeat violations. Fines up to $10,000 per violati…
- Binding first-contract arbitration and fees: mixed, high. If enacted, a union win would require bargaining to start within 10 days. If no agreement in 90 days, mediation then binding arbitration could set a first contract for two years. Arbitration must consider employer finances, local living costs, and comparable industry wages. Collective agreements co…
- Repeal of LMRA section 303: mixed, low. If enacted, the bill would repeal LMRA section 303 (29 U.S.C. 187). The repeal would remove that statutory provision from the code. The bill does not say what financial effects, if any, would follow.

## Related bills

- 119-s-5108: Right to IVF Act of 2026
- 119-s-1503: Equality Act
- 119-s-2150: Women’s Health Protection Act of 2025
- 119-s-2523: John R. Lewis Voting Rights Advancement Act of 2025
- 119-s-1115: Paycheck Fairness Act
- 119-s-3214: Background Check Expansion Act

## Sources
- [119-s-852 on Congress.gov](https://www.congress.gov/bill/119th-congress/senate-bill/852)

## Related
- [119-s-5108: Right to IVF Act of 2026](https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-s-5108)
- [119-s-1503: Equality Act](https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-s-1503)
- [119-s-2150: Women’s Health Protection Act of 2025](https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-s-2150)
- [119-s-2523: John R. Lewis Voting Rights Advancement Act of 2025](https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-s-2523)
- [119-s-1115: Paycheck Fairness Act](https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-s-1115)
- [119-s-3214: Background Check Expansion Act](https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-s-3214)
- [All bills in Congress](https://policyrisk.com/legislation)

Source: PRIA, https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-s-852 (as of 2025-12-21).