{"database": "press", "table": "releases", "rows": [["https://shontelbrown.house.gov/media/press-releases/brown-calls-ge-healthcare-engage-good-faith-negotiations-workers-aurora", "Brown Calls on GE HealthCare to Engage in Good-Faith Negotiations with Workers at Aurora Facility", "2026-09-04", "2026", "2026-09", "Democrat", "House", "OH", "Shontel M. Brown", "B001313", "shontelbrown.house.gov", "shontelbrown", "https://shontelbrown.house.gov/media/press-releases", "scraper", "Cleveland, OH \u2013 Congresswoman Shontel Brown (OH-11) has written to GE HealthCare urging them to negotiate in good faith with workers represented by the International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers (IAM) Local 1363 at the facility in Aurora, Ohio.\n\nIn her letter to Peter J. Arduini, President and Chief Executive Officer of GE Healthcare, Brown cited \u201cprolonged delays and a lack of meaningful progress at the bargaining table.\u201d Brown called on the company to \u201cmeet its obligations under federal labor law, engage in regular and meaningful good-faith negotiations, and work toward a fair first contract in a timely manner.\u201d\n\nIn June, the House passed the bipartisan Faster Labor Contracts Act, legislation cosponsored by Brown, to ensure that when workers vote to form a union, employers are not allowed to drag out negotiations on first contracts.\n\nThe text of the letter is copied below:\n\nPeter J. Arduini\n\nPresident and Chief Executive Officer\n\nGE HealthCare\n\n500 W. Monroe Street\n\nChicago, IL 60661\n\nDear Mr. Arduini:\n\nI write regarding the ongoing negotiations between GE HealthCare and approximately 130 employees at your Aurora, Ohio facility represented by the International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers (IAM) Local 1363. These employees voted in January 2025 to join IAM and have been working to secure their first collective bargaining agreement ever since.\n\nThe work performed at the Aurora facility is critical to GE HealthCare\u2019s mission and to Northeast Ohio\u2019s advanced manufacturing economy. Your employees in Aurora manufacture coils used in MRI machines that help physicians diagnose and treat patients around the world.\n\nI have heard from constituents who have described prolonged delays and a lack of meaningful progress at the bargaining table. According to those constituents, negotiations have continued for more than 18 months, while GE HealthCare has declined to meet on a regular bargaining schedule and did not provide comprehensive economic proposals until July 2026. Those proposals reportedly included wages below some employees\u2019 current rates of pay, reductions in paid time off, and increased health care costs for employees and their families.\n\nI also understand that IAM has filed two unfair labor practice charges with the National Labor Relations Board (Cases 08-CA-374224 and 08-CA-385852) concerning GE HealthCare\u2019s conduct during negotiations, including allegations that the company has refused to meet regularly and withheld annual merit raises in 2026.\n\nI recognize that these allegations remain before the NLRB and that the Board is responsible for determining their merits. Nevertheless, the National Labor Relations Act protects employees\u2019 rights to organize and bargain collectively through representatives of their choosing and requires employers and unions to bargain in good faith. I urge GE HealthCare to respect both the letter and spirit of these protections and refrain from any conduct that could interfere with employees\u2019 exercise of their federally protected rights.\n\nI urge GE HealthCare to meet its obligations under federal labor law, engage in regular and meaningful good-faith negotiations, and work toward a fair first contract in a timely manner. I recognize that the terms of any agreement must be determined through the collective bargaining process and do not seek to dictate its outcome. However, after more than 18 months of negotiations, these employees deserve a consistent, constructive, and good-faith bargaining process.\n\nThank you for your attention to this important matter. I look forward to your response and to a resolution that supports GE HealthCare\u2019s employees, the company, and the patients and communities that depend on their work.\n\nSincerely,", 1, "2026-09-05T08:49:07Z", "2026-09-05T08:50:44Z"]], "columns": ["url", "title", "date", "year", "month", "party", "chamber", "state", "member_name", "bioguide_id", "domain", "scraper", "source", "date_source", "text", "has_text", "collected_at", "updated_at"], "primary_keys": ["url"], "primary_key_values": ["https://shontelbrown.house.gov/media/press-releases/brown-calls-ge-healthcare-engage-good-faith-negotiations-workers-aurora"], "units": {}, "query_ms": 1.3781152665615082, "source": "dwillis/congress-press", "source_url": "https://github.com/dwillis/congress-press", "license": "MIT", "license_url": "https://github.com/dwillis/congress-press/blob/main/LICENSE"}