Restoring Justice for Workers Act
Sponsored By: Senator Murray, Patty [D-WA]
Introduced
Summary
Bans mandatory pre-dispute arbitration for workplace disputes. It would also strengthen workers' ability to pursue collective claims, require postdispute arbitration to be voluntary and informed, and amend the National Labor Relations Act to bar agreements that interfere with concerted activity.
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- Workers: Expands who is covered by calling workers both employees and independent contractors. It protects refusal to arbitrate and preserves the right to join or support class and collective claims.
- Employers: Prevents enforcing predispute arbitration clauses for work disputes. If employers seek postdispute arbitration they must give written notice of rights, a clear right to refuse, a final agreement text, a minimum 45-day waiting period, and affirmative written consent.
- Enforcement and courts: Creates a new federal chapter on arbitration of work disputes and makes courts, not arbitrators, decide validity. It tolls filing deadlines during the waiting period and creates a private civil action with a 2-year statute of limitations and a 3-year limit for willful violations, with potential attorney's fees and other remedies.
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Bill Overview
Analyzed Economic Effects
4 provisions identified: 4 benefits, 0 costs, 0 mixed.
More workers covered by the bill
If enacted, the bill would treat people labeled as independent contractors as "workers" for these rules. It would cover disputes about pay, hiring, discipline, and class or collective claims. The bill would also explicitly include domestic household workers to the fullest extent allowed by the Constitution. These changes would take effect on the date of enactment.
45-day wait before arbitration
If enacted, post-dispute arbitration (or a post-dispute class/collective waiver) would be enforceable only after a plain written disclosure, the final agreement text, and at least a 45-day waiting period. You would have to give affirmative written consent for arbitration. The statute of limitations for your claim would be paused during the 45 days. If an NLRA charge involves a qualifying post-dispute agreement, the six-month NLRA filing clock would start after the 45 days end.
Ban on forced arbitration and waivers
If enacted, the bill would make most pre-dispute arbitration agreements invalid. It would also bar pre-dispute promises not to join class, collective, or joint claims. Courts, not arbitrators, would decide whether an arbitration agreement applies. The rule would not change arbitration terms in union contracts that do not waive statutory or constitutional rights.
Right to sue for arbitration retaliation
If enacted, you could sue in federal court if your employer retaliates for refusing to enter an arbitration agreement. You must file within 2 years, or within 3 years for willful violations. A successful plaintiff could recover attorney's fees, litigation costs, and other remedies like compensatory or punitive damages where authorized.
Sponsors & CoSponsors
Sponsor
Murray, Patty [D-WA]
WA • D
Cosponsors
Sen. Baldwin, Tammy [D-WI]
WI • D
Sponsored 7/30/2026
Sen. Blumenthal, Richard [D-CT]
CT • D
Sponsored 7/30/2026
Sen. Durbin, Richard J. [D-IL]
IL • D
Sponsored 7/30/2026
Sen. Gallego, Ruben [D-AZ]
AZ • D
Sponsored 7/30/2026
Sen. Hirono, Mazie K. [D-HI]
HI • D
Sponsored 7/30/2026
Sen. King, Angus S., Jr. [I-ME]
ME • I
Sponsored 7/30/2026
Sen. Klobuchar, Amy [D-MN]
MN • D
Sponsored 7/30/2026
Sen. Markey, Edward J. [D-MA]
MA • D
Sponsored 7/30/2026
Sen. Merkley, Jeff [D-OR]
OR • D
Sponsored 7/30/2026
Sen. Murphy, Christopher [D-CT]
CT • D
Sponsored 7/30/2026
Sen. Padilla, Alex [D-CA]
CA • D
Sponsored 7/30/2026
Sen. Peters, Gary C. [D-MI]
MI • D
Sponsored 7/30/2026
Sen. Reed, Jack [D-RI]
RI • D
Sponsored 7/30/2026
Sen. Sanders, Bernard [I-VT]
VT • I
Sponsored 7/30/2026
Sen. Shaheen, Jeanne [D-NH]
NH • D
Sponsored 7/30/2026
Sen. Warren, Elizabeth [D-MA]
MA • D
Sponsored 7/30/2026
Sen. Cortez Masto, Catherine [D-NV]
NV • D
Sponsored 8/3/2026
Roll Call Votes
No roll call votes available for this bill.
View on Congress.gov