Reactions National Labor Relations Act of 1935

wagner act 1935 §13

the act bitterly opposed republican party , business groups. american liberty league viewed act threat freedom , engaged in campaign of opposition in order repeal these socialist efforts. included encouraging employers refuse comply nlrb , supporting nationwide filing of injunctions keep nlrb functioning. campaign continued until nlra found constitutional supreme court in national labor relations board v. jones & laughlin steel corporation (1937).

labor groups, while overwhelmingly supportive, expressed set of reservations. american federation of labor , employers accused nlrb of favoring congress of industrial organizations, particularly when determining whether hold union elections in plant-wide, or wall-to-wall, units, cio sought, or hold separate elections in separate craft units, craft unions in afl favored. while nlrb favored plant-wide units, tacitly favored cio s industrial unionism, retreated compromise position several years later under pressure congress allowed craft unions seek separate representation of smaller groups of workers @ same time union seeking wall-to-wall unit.

employers , allies in congress criticized nlra expansive definition of employee , allowing supervisors , plant guards form unions, affiliated unions represented employees whom supposed supervise or police. many accused nlrb of general pro-union , anti-employer bias, pointing board s controversial decisions in such areas employer free speech , mixed motive cases, in nlrb held employer violated act using misconduct ordinarily not result in termination fire employee engaged in pro-union activity. in addition, employers campaigned on years outlaw number of union practices such closed shops, secondary boycotts, jurisdictional strikes, mass picketing, strikes in violation of contractual no-strike clauses, pension , health , welfare plans sponsored unions , multi-employer bargaining.

many of these criticisms included provisions employers , allies unable have included in nlra. others developed in reaction nlrb decisions. on all, wanted nlrb neutral bargaining power, nlra s policy section takes decidedly pro-employee position:

it declared policy of united states eliminate causes of substantial obstructions free flow of commerce , mitigate , eliminate these obstructions when have occurred encouraging practice , procedure of collective bargaining , protecting exercise workers of full freedom of association, self-organization, , designation of representatives of own choosing, purpose of negotiating terms , conditions of employment or other mutual aid or protection.

some of these changes later achieved in 1947 amendments.