Assignment Prompt & Instructions
instructions and reading attached
– ## Class51.pdf
– ## Class5PPT.pdf
– CompaExcerpt.pdf
– TrumpsNLRBpurgeisaboutwaymorethancrushingunions..pdf
**## Class51.pdf**
1. Let's assume you have a friend who knows very little about collective bargaining
or its history in the private sector in the U.S. Please explain the following: (1)
how would you explain the NLRA and its evolution (through Taft Hartley and
Landrum Griffin) over time and (2) how do would you explain the Trump
administration's recent decisions and actions regarding the NLRB?
Please feel free to use Google, Bing DuckDuckGo and/or ChatGPT as well as
assigned materials to explore your answers to these questions but make sure to
indicate when your information comes from one of these sources.
2. Compare and contrast the Railway Labor Act (RLA) and the National Labor
Relations Act (NLRA). Which do you think is more favorable to collective
bargaining from the worker/union perspective?
3. Some of the provisions of the National Labor Relations Act were subsequently
amended by the Taft-Hartley Act. Which of these changes do you consider most
significant in terms of altering the balance of power between employers and
workers in organizing and collective bargaining? Explain.
Reading:
https://www.nlrb.gov/about-nlrb/who-we-are/our-history/1947-taft-hartley-passage
-and-nlrb-structural-changes
https://www.nlrb.gov/about-nlrb/who-we-are/our-history/1947-taft-hartley-substant
ive-provisions
[https://www.nlrb.gov/about-nlrb/who-we-are/our-history/1947-taft-hartley-passage-and-nlrb-structural-changes](https://www.nlrb.gov/about-nlrb/who-we-are/our-history/1947-taft-hartley-passage-and-nlrb-structural-changes)
[https://www.nlrb.gov/about-nlrb/who-we-are/our-history/1947-taft-hartley-passage-and-nlrb-structural-changes](https://www.nlrb.gov/about-nlrb/who-we-are/our-history/1947-taft-hartley-passage-and-nlrb-structural-changes)
[https://www.nlrb.gov/about-nlrb/who-we-are/our-history/1947-taft-hartley-substantive-provisions](https://www.nlrb.gov/about-nlrb/who-we-are/our-history/1947-taft-hartley-substantive-provisions)
[https://www.nlrb.gov/about-nlrb/who-we-are/our-history/1947-taft-hartley-substantive-provisions](https://www.nlrb.gov/about-nlrb/who-we-are/our-history/1947-taft-hartley-substantive-provisions)
**## Class5PPT.pdf**
LABR/ECON 511 Class 5
1. National Labor
Relations Act
2. Taft-Hartley and
Landrum-Griffin Acts
3. Trump Administration
version 2.0
1. NLRA
Deceptively simple on the surface
• New Deal Legislation (1935) that gave workers,
the right to organize and bargain collectively
• Enacted by overwhelming vote of the U.S. Senate
(63-12) and simple voice vote of the House and
signed by President Roosevelt on July 5, 1935
• Despite its popularity when enacted it was
difficult to enforce and continues to be extremely
controversial
The 1935 NLRA
ü Encouraged collective
bargaining among private sector
workers and employers
ü Identified employers as “deniers
of labor rights”
ü Prevented employer from
campaigns or use consultants to
discourage workers from
supporting the union
ü Right to have “union shop” was
a federal matter. (There were
no “right to work” state laws)
ü Few restrictions on union
concerted actions against
employers
Exemptions from NLRA
üPublic-sector employees,
üAgricultural workers
üDomestic workers,
ü Independent contractors
üWorkers employed by a parent or spouse,
üEmployees of air and rail carriers covered by the
Railway Labor Act,
üSupervisors (Taft-Hartley Act amendment
removed)
NLRA- *ULPs directed at Employers
(3) to encourage or discourage
membership in any labor
organization by discrimination
in regard to hire or tenure of
employment or any other term
or condition of employment;
(4) to discharge or discriminate
against an employee because he
has filed charges or given
testimony under the NLRA
(1) to interfere with, restrain,
or coerce employees in the
exercise of their rights to
collective bargaining and
similar concerted activities;
(2) to dominate or interfere
with the formation or
administration of any labor
organization or contribute
financial or other support to
it;
\* ULP = Unfair Labor Practice
Employer Unfair Labor Practices
Results
ü Massive increase in unionization
in the U.S. following the passage
of the NLRA
ü Unions won 80% of all elections
following passage of NLRA
ü World War II brought austerity
measures and restraint on wages
while corporate profits soared
ü Post World War II brought wide-
scale strike wave across the U.S.
ü Wages perceived as stagnant,
prices/inflation perceived as
growing
ü Labor wanted its share
ü Perception that power tipped too
favorably to organized labor
Corporate Profits
2. Taft-Hartley & Landrum Griffin Acts
• The NLRA was changed
by the Taft-Hartley
(1947) & Landrum
Griffin Act (1959)
• Substantively changed
(weakened) the NLRA
Taft-Hartley Act 1947
• Also called the Labor Management Relations
Act
• Was enacted into law over-riding President
Truman’s veto
• Increased the number of NLRB Board
members from 3 to 5
• Purpose was contested. Proponents argued
fairness and balanced power. Opponents
argued it would create slave labor.
Taft-Hartley Changes to the NLRA
ü Changed who is covered by
the NLRA: Excluded
independent contractors,
and front line supervisors
who had formerly been
covered
ü Gave employers the right to
file election petitions after
receiving request for
voluntary recognition-
potential strategic
advantage
ü Created categories of ULPs
against labor unions
Taft-Hartley Changes to the NLRA
(3) Allowed the creation of bargaining
unit for purposes of voting that had
nothing to do with how the workers had
organized
(4) Prohibited representation elections
for 12 months after a union vote failed
(5) Required pre-election hearings giving
employers the opportunity to delay
elections if they desired to do so
(1) Required NLRB use set election
procedure whereas formerly they had on
occasion used other methods to
determine majority worker support for
unionization e.g. authorization cards
(2) Allowed employers “free speech” to
discourage employees from organizing as
long as the speech does not coerce or
threaten employees, i.e. campaign
against union
Union Unfair Labor Practices
Taft-Hartley Changes to the NLRA
Notice Requirements & New
Agency
ü Required 60 day notice
period in order to be able
to amend or terminate an
existing collective
bargaining agreement
ü Created the Federal
Mediation and
Conciliation Services
(FMCS) and required
notice to them as well if
no agreement reached
Taft-Hartley Changes to the NLRA
ü Restriction on Strikes and other
Union Concerted Activity
ü No strikes within 60 day notice
period
ü Restriction on “secondary boycotts”
in which a union pressures a
company not to do business with the
employer with which the union has a
dispute.
ü Specified legal reasons for strike and
prohibited recognition strikes,
sympathy strikes, strikes to induce
employers to agree to industry-wide
bargaining
ü Empowered the President to become
involved if a strike or lockout impacts
an entire industry
Landrum-Griffin Act (1959)
• Further restricted unions tightening some of the
Taft-Hartley provisions such as restrictions on
secondary boycotts, picketing by unions for
recognition
• Financial Reporting by labor and employer
representatives to the Dept. of Labor
• Devolution of authority over elections to Regional
Directors of the NLRB
• Code of conduct guaranteeing rights of union
members
3. Trump Administration 2.0
• Fired General Counsel
appointed by Biden (this is
normal)
• Rescinded policy on college
athletes as “workers” for
purposes of organizing
• Fired NLRB Board Member
arguably in violation of the
law and leaving the Board
without a quorum –
essentially stopping the
agency’s work completely
Historical Perspective
• Long periods of hostility
towards unions and
collective bargaining
• Very short period of
ascendant NLRA before
amendments (1935-1947)
• Some attempts at +
reform under Biden
• Significant changes early
in Trump administration
version 2.0
**CompaExcerpt.pdf**
This file is too large to display. [View in new window](https://www.sweetstudy.com/files/compaexcerpt-pdf)
**TrumpsNLRBpurgeisaboutwaymorethancrushingunions..pdf**
This file is too large to display. [View in new window](https://www.sweetstudy.com/files/trumpsnlrbpurgeisaboutwaymorethancrushingunions-pdf)
**TrumpsNLRBpurgeisaboutwaymorethancrushingunions..pdf**
This file is too large to display. [View in new window](https://www.sweetstudy.com/files/trumpsnlrbpurgeisaboutwaymorethancrushingunions-pdf)
**## Class51.pdf**
1. Let's assume you have a friend who knows very little about collective bargaining
or its history in the private sector in the U.S. Please explain the following: (1)
how would you explain the NLRA and its evolution (through Taft Hartley and
Landrum Griffin) over time and (2) how do would you explain the Trump
administration's recent decisions and actions regarding the NLRB?
Please feel free to use Google, Bing DuckDuckGo and/or ChatGPT as well as
assigned materials to explore your answers to these questions but make sure to
indicate when your information comes from one of these sources.
2. Compare and contrast the Railway Labor Act (RLA) and the National Labor
Relations Act (NLRA). Which do you think is more favorable to collective
bargaining from the worker/union perspective?
3. Some of the provisions of the National Labor Relations Act were subsequently
amended by the Taft-Hartley Act. Which of these changes do you consider most
significant in terms of altering the balance of power between employers and
workers in organizing and collective bargaining? Explain.
Reading:
https://www.nlrb.gov/about-nlrb/who-we-are/our-history/1947-taft-hartley-passage
-and-nlrb-structural-changes
https://www.nlrb.gov/about-nlrb/who-we-are/our-history/1947-taft-hartley-substant
ive-provisions
[https://www.nlrb.gov/about-nlrb/who-we-are/our-history/1947-taft-hartley-passage-and-nlrb-structural-changes](https://www.nlrb.gov/about-nlrb/who-we-are/our-history/1947-taft-hartley-passage-and-nlrb-structural-changes)
[https://www.nlrb.gov/about-nlrb/who-we-are/our-history/1947-taft-hartley-passage-and-nlrb-structural-changes](https://www.nlrb.gov/about-nlrb/who-we-are/our-history/1947-taft-hartley-passage-and-nlrb-structural-changes)
[https://www.nlrb.gov/about-nlrb/who-we-are/our-history/1947-taft-hartley-substantive-provisions](https://www.nlrb.gov/about-nlrb/who-we-are/our-history/1947-taft-hartley-substantive-provisions)
[https://www.nlrb.gov/about-nlrb/who-we-are/our-history/1947-taft-hartley-substantive-provisions](https://www.nlrb.gov/about-nlrb/who-we-are/our-history/1947-taft-hartley-substantive-provisions)
**## Class5PPT.pdf**
LABR/ECON 511 Class 5
1. National Labor
Relations Act
2. Taft-Hartley and
Landrum-Griffin Acts
3. Trump Administration
version 2.0
1. NLRA
Deceptively simple on the surface
• New Deal Legislation (1935) that gave workers,
the right to organize and bargain collectively
• Enacted by overwhelming vote of the U.S. Senate
(63-12) and simple voice vote of the House and
signed by President Roosevelt on July 5, 1935
• Despite its popularity when enacted it was
difficult to enforce and continues to be extremely
controversial
The 1935 NLRA
ü Encouraged collective
bargaining among private sector
workers and employers
ü Identified employers as “deniers
of labor rights”
ü Prevented employer from
campaigns or use consultants to
discourage workers from
supporting the union
ü Right to have “union shop” was
a federal matter. (There were
no “right to work” state laws)
ü Few restrictions on union
concerted actions against
employers
Exemptions from NLRA
üPublic-sector employees,
üAgricultural workers
üDomestic workers,
ü Independent contractors
üWorkers employed by a parent or spouse,
üEmployees of air and rail carriers covered by the
Railway Labor Act,
üSupervisors (Taft-Hartley Act amendment
removed)
NLRA- *ULPs directed at Employers
(3) to encourage or discourage
membership in any labor
organization by discrimination
in regard to hire or tenure of
employment or any other term
or condition of employment;
(4) to discharge or discriminate
against an employee because he
has filed charges or given
testimony under the NLRA
(1) to interfere with, restrain,
or coerce employees in the
exercise of their rights to
collective bargaining and
similar concerted activities;
(2) to dominate or interfere
with the formation or
administration of any labor
organization or contribute
financial or other support to
it;
\* ULP = Unfair Labor Practice
Employer Unfair Labor Practices
Results
ü Massive increase in unionization
in the U.S. following the passage
of the NLRA
ü Unions won 80% of all elections
following passage of NLRA
ü World War II brought austerity
measures and restraint on wages
while corporate profits soared
ü Post World War II brought wide-
scale strike wave across the U.S.
ü Wages perceived as stagnant,
prices/inflation perceived as
growing
ü Labor wanted its share
ü Perception that power tipped too
favorably to organized labor
Corporate Profits
2. Taft-Hartley & Landrum Griffin Acts
• The NLRA was changed
by the Taft-Hartley
(1947) & Landrum
Griffin Act (1959)
• Substantively changed
(weakened) the NLRA
Taft-Hartley Act 1947
• Also called the Labor Management Relations
Act
• Was enacted into law over-riding President
Truman’s veto
• Increased the number of NLRB Board
members from 3 to 5
• Purpose was contested. Proponents argued
fairness and balanced power. Opponents
argued it would create slave labor.
Taft-Hartley Changes to the NLRA
ü Changed who is covered by
the NLRA: Excluded
independent contractors,
and front line supervisors
who had formerly been
covered
ü Gave employers the right to
file election petitions after
receiving request for
voluntary recognition-
potential strategic
advantage
ü Created categories of ULPs
against labor unions
Taft-Hartley Changes to the NLRA
(3) Allowed the creation of bargaining
unit for purposes of voting that had
nothing to do with how the workers had
organized
(4) Prohibited representation elections
for 12 months after a union vote failed
(5) Required pre-election hearings giving
employers the opportunity to delay
elections if they desired to do so
(1) Required NLRB use set election
procedure whereas formerly they had on
occasion used other methods to
determine majority worker support for
unionization e.g. authorization cards
(2) Allowed employers “free speech” to
discourage employees from organizing as
long as the speech does not coerce or
threaten employees, i.e. campaign
against union
Union Unfair Labor Practices
Taft-Hartley Changes to the NLRA
Notice Requirements & New
Agency
ü Required 60 day notice
period in order to be able
to amend or terminate an
existing collective
bargaining agreement
ü Created the Federal
Mediation and
Conciliation Services
(FMCS) and required
notice to them as well if
no agreement reached
Taft-Hartley Changes to the NLRA
ü Restriction on Strikes and other
Union Concerted Activity
ü No strikes within 60 day notice
period
ü Restriction on “secondary boycotts”
in which a union pressures a
company not to do business with the
employer with which the union has a
dispute.
ü Specified legal reasons for strike and
prohibited recognition strikes,
sympathy strikes, strikes to induce
employers to agree to industry-wide
bargaining
ü Empowered the President to become
involved if a strike or lockout impacts
an entire industry
Landrum-Griffin Act (1959)
• Further restricted unions tightening some of the
Taft-Hartley provisions such as restrictions on
secondary boycotts, picketing by unions for
recognition
• Financial Reporting by labor and employer
representatives to the Dept. of Labor
• Devolution of authority over elections to Regional
Directors of the NLRB
• Code of conduct guaranteeing rights of union
members
3. Trump Administration 2.0
• Fired General Counsel
appointed by Biden (this is
normal)
• Rescinded policy on college
athletes as “workers” for
purposes of organizing
• Fired NLRB Board Member
arguably in violation of the
law and leaving the Board
without a quorum –
essentially stopping the
agency’s work completely
Historical Perspective
• Long periods of hostility
towards unions and
collective bargaining
• Very short period of
ascendant NLRA before
amendments (1935-1947)
• Some attempts at +
reform under Biden
• Significant changes early
in Trump administration
version 2.0
**CompaExcerpt.pdf**
This file is too large to display. [View in new window](https://www.sweetstudy.com/files/compaexcerpt-pdf)
**TrumpsNLRBpurgeisaboutwaymorethancrushingunions..pdf**
This file is too large to display. [View in new window](https://www.sweetstudy.com/files/trumpsnlrbpurgeisaboutwaymorethancrushingunions-pdf)
**## Class51.pdf**
1. Let's assume you have a friend who knows very little about collective bargaining
or its history in the private sector in the U.S. Please explain the following: (1)
how would you explain the NLRA and its evolution (through Taft Hartley and
Landrum Griffin) over time and (2) how do would you explain the Trump
administration's recent decisions and actions regarding the NLRB?
Please feel free to use Google, Bing DuckDuckGo and/or ChatGPT as well as
assigned materials to explore your answers to these questions but make sure to
indicate when your information comes from one of these sources.
2. Compare and contrast the Railway Labor Act (RLA) and the National Labor
Relations Act (NLRA). Which do you think is more favorable to collective
bargaining from the worker/union perspective?
3. Some of the provisions of the National Labor Relations Act were subsequently
amended by the Taft-Hartley Act. Which of these changes do you consider most
significant in terms of altering the balance of power between employers and
workers in organizing and collective bargaining? Explain.
Reading:
https://www.nlrb.gov/about-nlrb/who-we-are/our-history/1947-taft-hartley-passage
-and-nlrb-structural-changes
https://www.nlrb.gov/about-nlrb/who-we-are/our-history/1947-taft-hartley-substant
ive-provisions
[https://www.nlrb.gov/about-nlrb/who-we-are/our-history/1947-taft-hartley-passage-and-nlrb-structural-changes](https://www.nlrb.gov/about-nlrb/who-we-are/our-history/1947-taft-hartley-passage-and-nlrb-structural-changes)
[https://www.nlrb.gov/about-nlrb/who-we-are/our-history/1947-taft-hartley-passage-and-nlrb-structural-changes](https://www.nlrb.gov/about-nlrb/who-we-are/our-history/1947-taft-hartley-passage-and-nlrb-structural-changes)
[https://www.nlrb.gov/about-nlrb/who-we-are/our-history/1947-taft-hartley-substantive-provisions](https://www.nlrb.gov/about-nlrb/who-we-are/our-history/1947-taft-hartley-substantive-provisions)
[https://www.nlrb.gov/about-nlrb/who-we-are/our-history/1947-taft-hartley-substantive-provisions](https://www.nlrb.gov/about-nlrb/who-we-are/our-history/1947-taft-hartley-substantive-provisions)
**## Class5PPT.pdf**
LABR/ECON 511 Class 5
1. National Labor
Relations Act
2. Taft-Hartley and
Landrum-Griffin Acts
3. Trump Administration
version 2.0
1. NLRA
Deceptively simple on the surface
• New Deal Legislation (1935) that gave workers,
the right to organize and bargain collectively
• Enacted by overwhelming vote of the U.S. Senate
(63-12) and simple voice vote of the House and
signed by President Roosevelt on July 5, 1935
• Despite its popularity when enacted it was
difficult to enforce and continues to be extremely
controversial
The 1935 NLRA
ü Encouraged collective
bargaining among private sector
workers and employers
ü Identified employers as “deniers
of labor rights”
ü Prevented employer from
campaigns or use consultants to
discourage workers from
supporting the union
ü Right to have “union shop” was
a federal matter. (There were
no “right to work” state laws)
ü Few restrictions on union
concerted actions against
employers
Exemptions from NLRA
üPublic-sector employees,
üAgricultural workers
üDomestic workers,
ü Independent contractors
üWorkers employed by a parent or spouse,
üEmployees of air and rail carriers covered by the
Railway Labor Act,
üSupervisors (Taft-Hartley Act amendment
removed)
NLRA- *ULPs directed at Employers
(3) to encourage or discourage
membership in any labor
organization by discrimination
in regard to hire or tenure of
employment or any other term
or condition of employment;
(4) to discharge or discriminate
against an employee because he
has filed charges or given
testimony under the NLRA
(1) to interfere with, restrain,
or coerce employees in the
exercise of their rights to
collective bargaining and
similar concerted activities;
(2) to dominate or interfere
with the formation or
administration of any labor
organization or contribute
financial or other support to
it;
\* ULP = Unfair Labor Practice
Employer Unfair Labor Practices
Results
ü Massive increase in unionization
in the U.S. following the passage
of the NLRA
ü Unions won 80% of all elections
following passage of NLRA
ü World War II brought austerity
measures and restraint on wages
while corporate profits soared
ü Post World War II brought wide-
scale strike wave across the U.S.
ü Wages perceived as stagnant,
prices/inflation perceived as
growing
ü Labor wanted its share
ü Perception that power tipped too
favorably to organized labor
Corporate Profits
2. Taft-Hartley & Landrum Griffin Acts
• The NLRA was changed
by the Taft-Hartley
(1947) & Landrum
Griffin Act (1959)
• Substantively changed
(weakened) the NLRA
Taft-Hartley Act 1947
• Also called the Labor Management Relations
Act
• Was enacted into law over-riding President
Truman’s veto
• Increased the number of NLRB Board
members from 3 to 5
• Purpose was contested. Proponents argued
fairness and balanced power. Opponents
argued it would create slave labor.
Taft-Hartley Changes to the NLRA
ü Changed who is covered by
the NLRA: Excluded
independent contractors,
and front line supervisors
who had formerly been
covered
ü Gave employers the right to
file election petitions after
receiving request for
voluntary recognition-
potential strategic
advantage
ü Created categories of ULPs
against labor unions
Taft-Hartley Changes to the NLRA
(3) Allowed the creation of bargaining
unit for purposes of voting that had
nothing to do with how the workers had
organized
(4) Prohibited representation elections
for 12 months after a union vote failed
(5) Required pre-election hearings giving
employers the opportunity to delay
elections if they desired to do so
(1) Required NLRB use set election
procedure whereas formerly they had on
occasion used other methods to
determine majority worker support for
unionization e.g. authorization cards
(2) Allowed employers “free speech” to
discourage employees from organizing as
long as the speech does not coerce or
threaten employees, i.e. campaign
against union
Union Unfair Labor Practices
Taft-Hartley Changes to the NLRA
Notice Requirements & New
Agency
ü Required 60 day notice
period in order to be able
to amend or terminate an
existing collective
bargaining agreement
ü Created the Federal
Mediation and
Conciliation Services
(FMCS) and required
notice to them as well if
no agreement reached
Taft-Hartley Changes to the NLRA
ü Restriction on Strikes and other
Union Concerted Activity
ü No strikes within 60 day notice
period
ü Restriction on “secondary boycotts”
in which a union pressures a
company not to do business with the
employer with which the union has a
dispute.
ü Specified legal reasons for strike and
prohibited recognition strikes,
sympathy strikes, strikes to induce
employers to agree to industry-wide
bargaining
ü Empowered the President to become
involved if a strike or lockout impacts
an entire industry
Landrum-Griffin Act (1959)
• Further restricted unions tightening some of the
Taft-Hartley provisions such as restrictions on
secondary boycotts, picketing by unions for
recognition
• Financial Reporting by labor and employer
representatives to the Dept. of Labor
• Devolution of authority over elections to Regional
Directors of the NLRB
• Code of conduct guaranteeing rights of union
members
3. Trump Administration 2.0
• Fired General Counsel
appointed by Biden (this is
normal)
• Rescinded policy on college
athletes as “workers” for
purposes of organizing
• Fired NLRB Board Member
arguably in violation of the
law and leaving the Board
without a quorum –
essentially stopping the
agency’s work completely
Historical Perspective
• Long periods of hostility
towards unions and
collective bargaining
• Very short period of
ascendant NLRA before
amendments (1935-1947)
• Some attempts at +
reform under Biden
• Significant changes early
in Trump administration
version 2.0
**CompaExcerpt.pdf**
This file is too large to display. [View in new window](https://www.sweetstudy.com/files/compaexcerpt-pdf)
**TrumpsNLRBpurgeisaboutwaymorethancrushingunions..pdf**
This file is too large to display. [View in new window](https://www.sweetstudy.com/files/trumpsnlrbpurgeisaboutwaymorethancrushingunions-pdf)
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