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S 560 111th Congress Senate

Employee Free Choice Act of 2009

Official title: A bill to amend the National Labor Relations Act to establish an efficient system to enable employees to form, join, or assist labor organizations, to provide … Show full official titleShow less

Official title: A bill to amend the National Labor Relations Act to establish an efficient system to enable employees to form, join, or assist labor organizations, to provide for mandatory injunctions for unfair labor practices during the organizing efforts, and for other purposes.

Introduced: March 10, 2009 See on congress.gov
Labor and Employment Civil actions and liabilityEmployment discrimination and employee rightsGovernment studies and investigationsLabor-management relations
This bill died when the 111th Congress ended
It never became law before the 111th Congress (2009–2010) adjourned, and bills don't carry over to the next Congress. It would have to be reintroduced. You can still save it for reference, but it won't receive updates.
 Everywhere this bill has been 3 steps
Introduced
In committee
Reported out
Passed House
Passed Senate
To President
Became law
Mar 10, 2009
Read twice and referred to the Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions.
Mar 10, 2009
Sponsor introductory remarks on measure. (CR S2966-2967)
Mar 10, 2009
Introduced in Senate
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 Latest action March 10, 2009

Read twice and referred to the Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions.

 Plain-English summary Congressional Research Service

Employee Free Choice Act of 2009 - Amends the National Labor Relations Act to require the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) to certify a bargaining representative without directing an election if a majority of the bargaining unit employees have authorized designation of the representative (card-check) and there is no other individual or labor organization currently certified or recognized as the exclusive representative of any of the employees in the unit.

Sets forth special procedural requirements for reaching an initial collective bargaining agreement following certification or recognition.

Revises enforcement requirements with respect to unfair labor practices during union organizing drives, particularly a preliminary investigation of an alleged unfair labor practice (ULP) which may lead to proceedings for injunctive relief.

Requires that priority be given to a preliminary investigation of any charge that, while employees were seeking representation by a labor organization, or during the period after a labor organization was recognized as a representative until the first collective bargaining contract is entered into, an employer: (1) discharged or otherwise discriminated against an employee to encourage or discourage membership in the labor organization; (2) threatened to discharge or to otherwise discriminate against an employee in order to interfere with, restrain, or coerce employees in the exercise of guaranteed self-organization or collective bardaining rights; or (3) engaged in any other related ULP that significantly interferes with, restrains, or coerces employees in the exercise of such guaranteed rights.

Adds to remedies for such violations: (1) back pay plus liquidated damages; and (2) additional civil penalties.

 Related & companion bills 1
 Bill text 1 version

Source documents hosted by congress.gov.

 Committees of jurisdiction 1
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APA
U.S. Congress. (2026). S. 560: Employee Free Choice Act of 2009. 111th Congress. Open America. https://openamerica.io/bill/111-S-560/
MLA
"S. 560: Employee Free Choice Act of 2009." 111th Congress, 2026, Open America, https://openamerica.io/bill/111-S-560/.
Bluebook (legal)
S. 560, 111th Cong. (2026), https://openamerica.io/bill/111-S-560/.
Markdown link
[S. 560: Employee Free Choice Act of 2009](https://openamerica.io/bill/111-S-560/)
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