For decades, I had the privilege of serving as president and CEO of Eagle Manufacturing, a company based right here in West Virginia.

Over those years, I understood the importance of sitting down together with my employees, talking through challenges and building trust over time. That approach worked for us, and it works for countless businesses across our state.

That’s why I’m concerned about a new proposal in Washington called the Faster Labor Contracts Act. While its name makes it sound like common sense, the reality is that this legislation is unnecessary and could make things worse for both workers and businesses.

The legislation would force employers to begin bargaining with a new union in just 10 days. If no agreement is reached within 90 days, the parties are pushed into mediation. And if 30 more days pass without a deal, the case is sent to binding arbitration — meaning an outside arbitrator, not the workers or the employer, decides the terms of the contract. Those contracts would then be locked in for years, regardless of whether employees ever voted to approve them.

This type of government overreach is unwarranted and counterproductive. The National Labor Relations Act, which has guided labor relations for nearly 90 years, already requires employers and unions to bargain in good faith.

What it does not do — and what it should not do — is impose artificial deadlines or force either side to accept proposals. That’s because effective, healthy bargaining takes time.

Our goal should be better labor contracts, not necessarily faster ones. But Washington stepping into the middle of private negotiations will not result in better labor contracts.

More often than not, government interference adds uncertainty, red tape, and unintended consequences. Businesses like the one I led succeed when they can be flexible and responsive — not when they are bound by contracts imposed by bureaucrats or outside arbitrators.

The American people share this skepticism. A recent U.S. Chamber of Commerce survey found that 90 percent of voters oppose government-mandated union contracts without worker approval. That is a clear message: People want workers to have freedom and choice, not contracts decided for them without their consent.

West Virginia’s economy has always been powered by hard work, independence and resilience. We don’t need federal lawmakers to tell us how to run our workplaces. What we need are policies that give workers and employers the room to negotiate fairly, at their own pace, and on their own terms.

The Faster Labor Contracts Act (H.R. 5408 and S. 844) is a solution in search of a problem. I urge our West Virginia congressional delegation to oppose this misguided legislation.

(Eddy is the former president and CEO of Eagle Manufacturing Co. in Wellsburg. He is a candidate for the West Virginia State Senate District 1 seat.)