jiayi-li23/proxann_data huggingface dataset:
Topic: Labor — Labor Unions
Subject: Labor and employment
Date: 2015-03-19 00:00:00

Union Integrity Act

Amends the Labor-Management Reporting and Disclosure Act of 1959 to prescribe whistleblower protections that prohibit a labor organization from discriminating against any of its employees who has: (1) provided information to the labor organization, the Department of Labor, or any other state, local, or federal government authority or law enforcement agency regarding any violation of the Act or any Department or National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) order; (2) testified in any Department or NLRB administrative or enforcement proceeding; (3) filed or instituted any such proceeding; or (4) refused to perform an assigned task that the employee reasonably believed to be in violation of any law, order, or prohibition enforced by the Department or the NLRB.

Prescribes procedures for filing and processing complaints for violations of this Act.

Declares that nothing in this Act shall be construed to: (1) limit employees to remove elected or appointed union officials through a democratic election; or (2) preempt a state or local government from providing additional protections to such employees who allege a violation, provided such protections do not limit the ability of those employees to remove such officials through a democratic ballot.
Topic: Labor — Labor Unions
Subject: Labor and employment
Date: 2015-04-13 00:00:00

Truth in Employment Act of 2015 

 Amends the National Labor Relations Act to provide that nothing in specified prohibitions against unfair labor practices by employers shall be construed as requiring an employer to employ any person who seeks or has sought employment with the employer in furtherance of other employment or agency status.
Topic: Labor — Labor Unions
Subject: Labor and employment
Date: 2015-04-14 00:00:00

Employee Privacy Protection Act 

 Amends the National Labor Relations Act to require the National Labor Relations Board, not earlier than seven days after it makes a final determination of the appropriate bargaining unit in a proposed election regarding collective bargaining representation, to acquire from the employer a list of all employees eligible to vote in the election, which shall: (1) be made available to all parties, and (2) include the employees' names as well as not more than one additional form of personal contact information (such as telephone number, email address, or mailing address) chosen by the employee in writing.
Topic: Labor — Labor Unions
Subject: Labor and employment
Date: 2015-04-14 00:00:00

Workforce Democracy and Fairness Act 

 Amends the National Labor Relations Act to require the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) to require that no investigative hearing take place until at least 14 days after the filing of an election petition regarding collective bargaining representation when the NLRB has reasonable cause to believe that the petition raises a question of representation affecting commerce. Requires such hearings to be non-adversarial, and the hearing officer, in collaboration with the parties, to identify any relevant and material pre-election issues.

Requires the NLRB, in cases where it finds that a question of representation exists, to: (1) direct an election by secret ballot as soon as practicable but not before 35 calendar days after the filing of the election petition; and (2) certify election results only after it has ruled on each pre-election issue not resolved before the election and any additional issue pertaining to the conduct or results of that election.
Topic: Labor — Labor Unions
Subject: Labor and employment
Date: 2015-04-17 00:00:00

Protecting American Jobs Act

 Amends the National Labor Relations Act to repeal the authority of the General Counsel of the National Labor Relations Board to issue, and prosecute before the Board, complaints with respect to unfair labor practices.

Repeals the prohibition against: (1) review of an administrative law judge's report by any person other than a Board member or legal assistant; and (2) advice to or consultation with the Board by an administrative law judge with respect to exceptions taken to his or her findings, rulings, or recommendations.

Limits the Board's rulemaking authority to rules concerning the internal functions of the Board. Prohibits the Board from promulgating rules that affect the substantive rights of a person, employer, employee, or labor organization.

Revises Board powers to grant it the authority to investigate unfair labor practices, but repeals its power to prevent any person from engaging in them.

Repeals the Board's power to issue a complaint against a person charging an unfair labor practice. Allows an aggrieved party to bring a civil action for relief (including injunctions) in U.S. district court or the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia in cases where it appears that a person has engaged, is engaging, or is about to engage in an unfair labor practice.
Topic: Labor — Labor Unions
Subject: Armed forces and national security
Date: 2015-04-30 00:00:00

VA Employee Fairness Act of 2015

Repeals provisions excluding any matter or question concerning professional conduct or competence, peer review, or the establishment, determination, or adjustment of employee compensation from the applicability of collective bargaining rights for Veterans Health Administration employees.
Topic: Labor — Labor Unions
Subject: Labor and employment
Date: 2015-05-18 00:00:00

Coal Healthcare and Pensions Protection Act of 2015

Amends the Surface Mining Control and Reclamation Act of 1977 to address potential shortages in the Multiemployer Health Benefit Plan for payment of health care benefits to retired coal miners by expanding the eligible uses of interest transferable to the plan from the Abandoned Mine Reclamation Fund, and supplemental payments from the General Fund of the Treasury.

Requires calculation of such amount by taking into account only those beneficiaries who are actually enrolled in the plan as of the enactment of this Act, as well as those retirees whose health benefits, payable directly by an employer in the bituminous coal industry under a coal wage agreement as a result of a bankruptcy proceeding commenced in 2012, would be denied or reduced.

Requires the Department of the Treasury to transfer to the trustees of the 1974 United Mine Workers of America (UMWA) Pension Plan a certain additional amount of funds, to pay pension benefits required under that plan, if the $490 million limitation on certain transfers to the UMWA Combined Benefit Fund and distributions to states and Indian tribes exceeds the aggregate amount required to be transferred to them.

 Amends the Internal Revenue Code to prescribe a special rule that employer contributions to an employees' trust or annuity benefit plan providing supplemental benefits solely to participants in a pension plan are neither deductible nor nondeductible as such from the employer's gross income. Subjects such contributions, on the other hand, to deduction as an allowable trade or business expense.

Treats a trust holding the assets of such a pension benefit plan as a tax-exempt organization.

Excludes from taxable wages any payments made to, or on behalf of, an employee or his or her beneficiary under such a plan.
Topic: Labor — Labor Unions
Subject: Labor and employment
Date: 2015-06-24 00:00:00

Limiting the Ability to Demand Detrimental Employment Restrictions Act or the LADDER Act

This bill: (1) prohibits employers from entering into not to compete covenants with low-wage employees engaged in commerce or in the production of goods for commerce, and (2) requires an employer of such employees to post notice of such prohibition in a conspicuous place on the employer's premises.

The bill defines "low-wage employee" as an employee who earns less than the greater of $15 per hour or the state or local minimum wage.

In order for an employer to require such an employee who is not a low-wage employee to enter into such a covenant, the employer must have disclosed the requirement for entering into such covenant before hiring such employee.

The Secretary of Labor shall: (1) enforce a complaint of a violation of this Act in the same manner as a complaint of a violation of the Fair Labor Standards Act of 1938, and (2) impose a civil fine on any employer who violates this Act.
Topic: Labor — Labor Unions
Subject: Labor and employment
Date: 2015-09-09 00:00:00

Protecting Local Business Opportunity Act

(Sec. 2) This bill amends the National Labor Relations Act to allow two or more employers to be considered joint employers for purposes of the Act only if each employer shares and exercises control over essential terms and conditions of employment and such control over these matters is actual, direct, and immediate.
Topic: Labor — Labor Unions
Subject: Government operations and politics
Date: 2015-09-10 00:00:00

Adjusting Davis-Bacon for Inflation Act

 Increases from $2,000 to $50,000 the contract threshold requiring the locally prevailing wage rate to be paid to various classes of laborers and mechanics working under federally-financed or federally-assisted contracts for construction, alteration, and repair of public buildings or public works (Davis-Bacon Act).
Topic: Labor — Labor Unions
Subject: Labor and employment
Date: 2015-09-16 00:00:00

Workplace Action for a Growing Economy Act or the WAGE Act

This bill amends the National Labor Relations Act to require the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) to award back pay and additional liquidated damages equal to double the back pay, without any reduction, to any employee against whom an employer has discriminated with regard to hiring or because the employee has filed charges or given testimony or if the employer has committed an unfair labor practice resulting in the employee's discharge or other serious economic loss.

Civil penalties are established for violations of posting requirements and any violations causing serious economic loss to employees.

 Whenever it is charged that an employer has engaged in an unfair labor practice that significantly interferes with, restrains, or coerces employees in the exercise of guaranteed rights and involves discharge or other serious harm to an employee, the preliminary investigation of the charge shall be made forthwith and given priority generally over all other cases.

The U.S. district court shall: (1) have jurisdiction to grant injunctive relief or a temporary restraining order to protect the rights guaranteed, and (2) shall grant the relief requested unless the court concludes that there is no reasonable likelihood that the NLRB will succeed on the merits of the NLRB's claim.

A person injured by an unfair labor practice may bring a civil action in the appropriate district court.

Unauthorized aliens may be paid back pay under a court order directing reinstatement of an employee.

In any case where the NLRB finds that an election to determine a collective bargaining representative should be set aside because the employer committed a violation or otherwise interfered with a fair election, it shall issue an order requiring the employer to collectively bargain with the labor organization.

The NLRB shall dismiss any petition to represent a unit if in an election a majority of the valid votes cast in an appropriate unit have not been cast in favor of representation by the labor organization.

 The NLRB shall promulgate regulations requiring each employer to post and maintain, in conspicuous places, a notice setting forth the rights and protections afforded employees under such Act.

Each order of the NLRB shall take effect 30 days after notice of an NLRB order is given, unless the NLRB directs otherwise.

The NLRB shall apply to the district court in which an unfair labor practice or other subject of the order occurred for the enforcement of an order if any person or entity fails or neglects to obey it.
Topic: Labor — Labor Unions
Subject: Labor and employment
Date: 2015-10-06 00:00:00

Workplace Democracy Act

This bill amends the National Labor Relations Act to require the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) to certify without an election an individual or labor organization as the exclusive representative of the employees in a unit appropriate for bargaining if a majority of the employees has signed valid authorizations designating the individual or labor organization specified in a properly filed petition as their bargaining representative and no other individual or labor organization is currently certified or recognized as the exclusive representative of any of the employees in the unit.

The NLRB shall develop guidelines and procedures for the designation by employees of a bargaining representative.

Deadlines are prescribed for critical turns in collective bargaining to establish an initial agreement upon the request of an individual or labor organization that has been newly organized or certified as a representative. The first meeting shall convene within 10 days after the employer receives a request. Either party to a negotiation may, 90 days after commencement, notify the Federal Mediation and Conciliation Service of the existence of a dispute and request mediation. The Service shall refer the dispute to an arbitration board if the parties are not brought to agreement within 30 days after the request for mediation.
Topic: Labor — Labor Unions
Subject: Labor and employment
Date: 2015-10-27 00:00:00

Employee Empowerment Act 

 This bill amends the National Labor Relations Act to authorize a person alleging an unfair labor practice by an employer by discrimination regarding hiring or tenure of employment or any term or condition of employment to encourage or discourage membership in any labor organization, in addition to filing a charge alleging an unfair labor practice with the National Labor Relations Board, to bring a civil action against such employer in U.S. district court.

The court may grant relief (including injunctive and equitable relief, back pay, and compensatory and punitive damages) and allow the prevailing party a reasonable attorney's fee (including expert witness fees) as part of the costs.
Topic: Labor — Labor Unions
Subject: Labor and employment
Date: 2015-10-29 00:00:00

Ensuring Access to Affordable and Quality Home Care for Seniors and People with Disabilities Act 

 This bill amends the Fair Labor Standards Act of 1938 with respect to the exemption from minimum wage and maximum hour requirements of domestic service employment to provide companionship services for individuals who because of age or infirmity are unable to care for themselves. Definitions of "companionship services" and "domestic service employment" are detailed. Excluded from companionship services are any relating to the care and protection of the aged or infirm which require and are performed by trained medical personnel.

The exemption shall now extend to third-party employment of an employee to provide companionship services to such individuals, including non-medical in-home personal care or household work related to their care. "Third-party employment" means employees who provide companionship or live-in domestic services while employed by an employer or agency other than the family or household using their services, whether or not such an employee provides services to more than one household or family in the same workweek when providing such services.

Exempted also from the Act's maximum hour requirements are third-party employment in domestic service of an employee who resides in the household in which the services are provided.
Topic: Labor — Labor Unions
Subject: Labor and employment
Date: 2015-11-05 00:00:00

Ensuring Continued Operations and No Other Major Incidents, Closures, or Slowdowns Act or the ECONOMICS Act

This bill amends the Labor Management Relations Act, 1947 to direct the President to appoint a board of inquiry within 10 days after any of the following events occur:

 the U.S. Census Bureau reports that the monthly Import or Export Vessel Value decreased by 20% or more in any one month from the previous month in any one of the four metric identification regions into which each U.S. maritime port shall be classified; a slow-down or a threatened or actual strike or lock-out takes place at four or more port facilities in any one of the four metric identification regions; or a slow-down or a threatened or an actual strike or lock-out occurs in which the total number of employees actively involved at the affected port facilities in any one of the four metric identification regions, is 6,000 or greater. The Department of Transportation shall classify the nation's maritime ports as belonging to one of these four metric identification regions: (1) West Coast, (2) East Coast, (3) Gulf Coast, and (4) Great Lakes.

A board of inquiry must report to the President within 10 days after its appointment on whether the slow-down or threatened or actual strike or lock-out contributed to the occurrence of the event.

The Bureau of Transportation Statistics shall collect the following data relating to activity at port facilities in the United States: (1) the average number of lifts per hour of containers by crane, (2) the average cargo container dwell time, (3) the average truck times at ports, and (4) the average rail time at ports.

The Bureau shall report to Congress recommendations on whether such conditions exist requiring the appointment of such a board.
Topic: Labor — Labor Unions
Subject: Transportation and public works
Date: 2015-11-16 00:00:00

Local Hire Act 

 This bill authorizes a state to establish local hiring bid specifications or consider the hiring of local workers in the evaluation of bids and proposals for federal-aid highway projects. The recipients of federal assistance are likewise authorized to establish such specifications or consider local hiring in the evaluation of bids and proposals for public transportation projects.
Topic: Labor — Labor Unions
Subject: Labor and employment
Date: 2015-11-16 00:00:00

National Labor Relations Board Reform Act

Amends the National Labor Relations Act to revise requirements with respect to the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB), the Office of the General Counsel (OGC), and the process for appellate review.

Increases NLRB membership from five to six. Requires three members to represent each of the two major political parties and, beginning January 1, 2020, each of the two members whose terms expire on the same date to represent a different major political party.

Requires: (1) four NLRB members to constitute a quorum at all times, and (2) any NLRB determination to be approved by a majority of the members present.

Specifies tenure, including staggered terms, of NLRB members.

Sets forth judicial review procedures for any person subject to a complaint issued or authorized by the OGC.

Sets the compensation rate for each NLRB member, in addition to the OGC, at level IV of the Executive Schedule and the Chairman of the NLRB, as under current law, at level III.

Requires the NLRB to issue a final order reviewing an appeal of a report of an administrative law judge or decision of a regional director within one year after the report or decision; but if the NLRB does not issue a final order within that time, allows any party to the case to move to discharge it. Deems, upon such a motion, the report or the decision to be a final agency action. Prohibits the NLRB from taking further action on the matter.

Reduces authorized appropriations to carry out the Act for each of the succeeding two fiscal years to 80% of the average amount authorized for the prior two fiscal years if, two years after enactment of this Act, the NLRB has failed to issue a final order on more than 90% of the cases pending on (or filed on or after) the date of enactment.

Extends such reduced authorization of appropriations if after four years the NLRB has failed to issue a final order on more than 90% of the cases pending on (or filed on or after) the date that is two years after the date of enactment of this Act.
Topic: Labor — Labor Unions
Subject: Labor and employment
Date: 2015-12-15 00:00:00

Freedom for Workers to Seek Opportunity Act

This bill: (1) prohibits employers from entering into not-to-compete covenants with any grocery store employees engaged in commerce or in the production of goods for commerce, and (2) requires an employer of such employees to post a notice of this prohibition in a conspicuous place on the employer's premises.

No employers who own or operate at least one grocery store may, in conjunction with the purchase of one or more grocery stores owned or operated by another employer, include in any agreement between such employers any provision that restricts either employer from hiring a grocery store employee of the other employer.

An employer who acquires the operation of another employer and retains in employment a grocery store employee of the former employee at the same grocery store of the former employer shall continue to recognize, for all employment purposes, the seniority of that grocery store employee, and, to the extent practicable, make available to such employees any benefits made available by the former employer.

The Secretary of Labor shall: (1) enforce a complaint of a violation of this Act in the same manner as a complaint of a violation of the Fair Labor Standards Act of 1938, and (2) impose a specified civil fine on any employer who violates this Act.
Topic: Labor — Labor Unions
Subject: Government operations and politics
Date: 2016-02-04 00:00:00

Federal Employee Rights Act 

This bill repeals current authority allowing the deduction of labor organization dues from employee pay and prohibits federal agencies, including executive, legislative, and judicial agencies, the U.S. Postal Service, the Postal Regulatory Commission, and the government of the District of Columbia, from deducting any amount from the pay of an employee for the dues of a labor organization.

The bill prohibits employee dues collected by a labor organization from being used for any purpose not directly related to the organization's collective bargaining activities without employee authorization.

The bill requires a vote of more than 50% of all employees (not just employees who cast ballots) to approve union representation and extends this requirement to postal service employees.

An employee may elect, in writing, to withhold personal information from a labor organization during organizing activity.

The bill requires that all elections relating to labor representation, including elections involving postal service employees, have secret paper ballots.
Topic: Labor — Labor Unions
Subject: Crime and law enforcement
Date: 2016-02-11 00:00:00

Safe Harbor for Reporting Violent Behavior Act of 2016

This bill makes an employer immune from civil liability for reporting to a potential future employer an employee or former employee’s violent or threatening behavior. The report must be made in good faith and based on objectively reasonable suspicion.

Additionally, the bill makes a potential employer immune from civil liability for taking a reasonable action in good faith to respond to a report of violent or threatening behavior of an employee or potential employee.