National Labor Relations Board

     The National Labor Relations Board was first created with the passage of the National Labor Relations Act in 1935 (National Labor Relations Act). This act was proposed by a group of progressives in Congress, led by New York Senator Robert E. Wagner (Freidel, 122). The idea for the act was formed when the Supreme Court made the decision in 1935 to take down the National Industrial Recovery Act, invalidating Section 7(a) of the act (nlrb.gov). It was also spurred on by the merciless Great Depression and the widespread violence of many strikes (Freidel, 122)). Section 7 had given the workers the right to "organize and bargain collectively" (Brinkley, 637). The National Labor Relations Act became popularly known as the Wagner Act because of the efforts of Senator Wagner (National Labor Relations Act).

     The main purpose of the Wagner Act was to reverse the past federal opposition to unions and get the government involved postitively in order to give workers the the opportunity to join a union or not (National Labor Relations Act). This was made possible via the creation of a "new independent agency", known as the Labor Relations Board, which was composed of three members appointed by the President and approved by the Senate (Freidel, 123). This committee would then be able to enforce the rights of workers and employees instead of being the "middle men" between arguments (National Labor Relations Act).  The National Labor Relations Board would be involved with managing arguments, ensuring democratic union elections, and they would punish harsh or unjust labor practices by the employers (Brinkley, 637). This act also allowed employees to not only form but also join unions, while obligating employers to "bargain collectively with unions selected by a majority of the employees in an appropriate bargaining unit" (nlrb.gov). The promotion of "collective bargaining" as the main way to secure a peaceful industry among labor relations was a crucial aspect of the act (National Labor Relations Act). The Wagner Act attempted peaceful and organized labor unions by applying the law to all employers who were involved in "interstate commerce other than airlines, railroads, agriculture, and government" (National Labor Relations Act).