employers and employees.
What Is a Trade Union?
A trade union, or labor union, is an organized group of workers who come together to lobby employers about
conditions affecting their work. There currently are around 60 unions representing 14 million workers across
the United States. Unions are organized according to the type of work that workers do. For example, the
American Federation of Teachers is the labor union for teaching personnel, while the the International
Association of Fire Fighters covers fire fighters. Many unions in the United States are organized as local
unions. This type of union is a locally (i.e., company or region) based group of workers who organize under a
charter from a national union. For example, Affiliated Property Craftspersons Local 44 is the Los Angeles union
of entertainment professional craftpersons, chartered under the International Alliance of Theatrical Stage
Employees.
Timeline of Developments in Labor Law
•
1886. The American Federation of Labor was formed in Columbus, Ohio. This group was a national
federation of labor unions who came together to bolster their power in industrial unionism. The AFL was
the largest union grouping in the United States well into the twentieth century. However, the Federation
was craft-dominated, such that only craft workers like artisans and silversmiths were allowed to belong.
•
1932. The Norris-LaGuardia Act was passed. This Act prohibited yellow-dog contracts, or contracts that
prevented workers from joining labor unions. In addition, federal courts were barred from issuing
injunctions to prevent groups of workers from engaging in boycotts, strikes, and picketing.
•
1935. The Congress of Industrial Organizations was established. This establishment extended the union
movement because it allowed semi-skilled and unskilled workers to become members.
•
1935. The Wagner Act, or National Labor Relations Act, was passed. This Act is the major statute of
United States labor law. The Act established that employees have the right to form, assist, and join labor
organizations, to engage in collective bargaining with employers, and to engage in concerted activity to
promote those rights.
•
1947. The Labor-Management Relations Act, also known as the Taft-Hartley Act, imposed restrictions on
the power of labor unions. It made changes to union election rules and outlined and provided remedies
for six unfair practices by labor unions (see box below).
•
1959. The Labor Management Reporting and Disclosure Act, or Landrum-Griffin Act, was passed, which
regulates the internal affairs of trade unions, as well as their officials’ relationships with employers. All
union members are granted equal rights to vote for candidates, take part in membership meetings, and
nominate candidates for office.
•
1988. The Worker Adjustment and Retraining Notification (WARN) Act requires that employers with more
than 100 employees give workers at least 60 days notice before engaging in layoffs or plant closings.
Amendments
of the Taft-
Hartley Act
Description
Table 9.3
102
Chapter 9 Employment and Labor Law
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