Senate OKs Bill Banning Employer Mandatory Meetings

STATE HOUSE — The Senate today approved legislation that would protect employees’ workplace First Amendment rights to refuse mandatory meetings.

The bill (2025-S 0126A),  introduced by Sen. Matthew L. LaMountain (D-Dist. 31, Warwick, Cranston) would protect the rights of employees in the workplace who refuse attendance at employer-sponsored meetings regarding political or religious matters, as well as refusing to listen to a political or religious speech.

Bill bans mandatory meetings

Teamsters Local 251 called on the state’s House of Representatives to pass its companion legislation, H5506, which bans so-called “mandatory attendance” at captive audience meetings, which the organization said are held to intimidate workers away from joining a union, according to the union’s statement on the bills.

Teamsters Local 251 represents more than 6,300 workers in a wide variety of industries throughout Rhode Island and southeastern Massachusetts.

“We’d like to thank Sen. LaMountain and everyone else who voted for S126A,” said Matt Taibi, Local 251 Secretary-Treasurer. “Now it’s time for house members to get on board, because nobody should be forced to endure political propaganda on the job. Workers engage with unions of their own free will — no one is ever compelled to participate. Rhode Island needs to end this unfair practice and stand up for freedom of association in the workplace.”

“This legislation aims to find a middle ground in protecting the free speech rights of employees without trampling on the free speech rights of employers,” said Senator LaMountain, who serves as chairman of the Senate Judiciary Committee. “Political coercion is becoming a more widespread problem in the workplace. Captive audience meetings, where employers require workers to listen to political, religious or anti-union rhetoric on company time, is a serious threat to individual liberty, and this bill seeks to curb that practice.”

Employees aggrieved by discipline or discharge by the employer would have the right to bring a civil action against the employer seeking equitable relief and/or compensatory damages including attorneys’ fees and costs.

Rhode Island would become the 12^th state to ban the practice of captive audience meetings. Teamsters’ advocacy for the right of workers to exercise free speech on the job, has helped ensure nearly three in 10 Americans lives in a state where such meetings are outlawed.

The mandatory meetings measure now moves to the House, where similar legislation (2025-H 5506) has been introduced by Rep. Robert E. Craven (D-Dist. 32, North Kingstown).

Author: Rob Borkowski

Rob has worked as reporter and editor for several publications, including The Kent County Daily Times and Coventry Courier, before working for Gatehouse in MA then moving home with Patch Media. Now he's publisher and editor of WarwickPost.com. Contact him at editor@warwickpost.com with tips, press releases, advertising inquiries, and concerns.