Week 7 Discussion – Union Legal Implications and Legal Influences
Determine the relevancy of the following acts today:
The Norris-La Guardia Act.
The National Labor Relations (Wagner) Act.
The Labor Management Relations (Taft-Hartley) Act.
Provide three specific examples to support your position on the current relevancy of these acts. The following article provides more context for the relevancy of these acts:
Katie Tarasov. August 22, 2019. How Amazon is Fighting Back Against Workers’ Increasing Efforts to UnionizeLinks to an external site.. https://www.cnbc.com/2019/08/22/how-amazon-is-fighting-back-against-workers-efforts-to-unionize.html
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The three acts mentioned, the Norris-La Guardia Act, the National Labor Relations (Wagner) Act, and the Labor Management Relations (Taft-Hartley) Act, all have ongoing relevancy today in the United States.
The Norris-La Guardia Act: This act, passed in 1932, limits the ability of federal courts to issue injunctions against nonviolent labor disputes. It was enacted to protect workers’ right to strike and engage in collective bargaining. Today, the act is still relevant because it protects workers from being punished for striking or engaging in other lawful union activities. For example, in 2019, workers at Google staged a walkout to protest the company’s handling of sexual harassment claims. The workers were protected by the Norris-La Guardia Act, which prevented Google from retaliating against them for their union activity.
The National Labor Relations (Wagner) Act: This act, passed in 1935, guarantees workers the right to form and join unions, engage in collective bargaining, and strike. The act is still relevant today because it protects workers’ rights to organize and bargain collectively. For example, in 2021, workers at an Amazon warehouse in Alabama attempted to form a union. The workers were protected by the Wagner Act, which prevented Amazon from interfering with their union activity.
The Labor Management Relations (Taft-Hartley) Act: This act, passed in 1947, regulates labor unions and their activities. It limits the power of unions and provides more protections for employers. The act is still relevant today because it governs many aspects of labor relations, including strikes, lockouts, and union organizing. For example, in 2019, Amazon used the Taft-Hartley Act to challenge the legality of a unionization effort by workers at one of its warehouses. Amazon argued that the union was engaging in unfair labor practices and was not acting in the best interests of workers.
In conclusion, all three acts, the Norris-La Guardia Act, the National Labor Relations (Wagner) Act, and the Labor Management Relations (Taft-Hartley) Act, are still relevant today and continue to shape labor relations in the United States. These acts protect workers’ rights to organize and bargain collectively, limit the power of unions, and provide legal protections for both workers and employers.
