The National Labor Relations Act was signed into law by Franklin Delano Roosevelt in 1935, at a time when labor disputes were commonplace. The Act protected employees’ rights to organize and bargain collectively with employers. It also created the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) to monitor and investigate charges of unfair labor practices. Some of the rules the NLRA established:
Notice requirements before contracts can be terminated/modified
Prohibition of strikes/lockouts without proper notice or while a contract is in force
Rights of employers and employees to choose their own bargaining agents/committees
Duty of employer to provide relevant information (i.e. financial information if the employer pleads poverty, etc.; Federal Tax Law and the Freedom of Information Act also require financial disclosures from nonprofit organizations and grant recipients)
Requirements to bargain in good faith (and forces parties back to the table when a change in circumstances, e.g. a strike, follows an impasse)
Prohibits employer from bypassing the bargaining agent and negotiating directly with employees
Protects individuals from being harassed, threatened, or coerced for participating in union activities during negotiations