Allows employees, not represented by a union, to create a group to collectively bargain with employers.

Plain-English Summary

This bill would give workers who are not already represented by a labor union the legal right to form their own employee group and negotiate with their employer as a collective unit. Currently, formal collective bargaining — where workers come together to negotiate wages, benefits, and working conditions — is typically done through established unions. This legislation would create a new pathway for non-union employees to organize themselves into a group and have that group recognized for bargaining purposes.

Under this bill, workers at a company or workplace who don't have union representation could band together, form their own employee group, and sit at the table with their employer to negotiate things like pay, hours, or workplace policies. Essentially, it gives non-union workers some of the same negotiating tools that union members already have, without requiring them to formally join or create a traditional union.

This bill would directly affect non-union employees in Rhode Island who currently must negotiate with their employers individually. It could also affect employers, who would be required to engage with and respond to these employee-formed groups in a bargaining process. The bill has been introduced and sent to the House Labor Committee, where it will be reviewed before any further action is taken.