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Table of Contents
The Taft-Hartley Act is a federal law that prohibits certain union practices and requires disclosure of financial and political activities by unions. The Act was passed in 1947.
See the fact file below for more information on the Taft-Hartley Act or alternatively, you can download our 27-page Taft-Hartley Act worksheet pack to utilise within the classroom or home environment.
Key Facts & Information
UNDERSTANDING THE TAFT-HARTLEY ACT
- The Labor-Management Relations Act, commonly known as Taft-Hartley Act, was an amendment from the 1935 Act, called the National Labor Relations Act (Wagner Act).
- The 80th United States Congress passed the Taft-Hartley Act in 1947, which overrode President Harry Trumanβs veto vote, coming into effect on June 23, 1947.
- The Taft-Hartley Act was introduced in the aftermath of the strike wave in 1945-1946.
- The union critics called it the slave-labor bill. Congress was encouraged by the business lobbyist, who saw it as a way to prevent union abuse, hoping it would end a string of large-scale strikes that broke out after the end of World War II. It also sought to suppress Communism in the labor movement.
- The Taft-Hartley Act and the Wagner Act don’t cover domestics or farmworkers.
KEY AMENDMENTS
- Taft-Hartley outlined six practices by unfair labor unions; it also provided remedies to protect employees from harm.
- The Wagner Act only addressed the unfair labor practices caused by employers.
- The first amendment to the act protected employees’ rights to form unions and engage in negotiations with employers, protecting employees from coercion by unions, which resulted in discrimination against employees.
- The second amendment to the act says that employers can’t employ prospective employees because they won’t join a union. Employers do have a right to sign an agreement with a union requiring an employee to join the union by their 30th day of employment.
- The third amendment to the act stipulated that unions are required to negotiate with employers. It balanced the provisions of the Wagner Act by requiring good faith bargaining by employers.
- The fourth amendment to the act prohibited boycotts by unions. For example, if the union had a problem with the employer, they can’t, under the law, force or urge another reason to stop doing business with that employer.
- The fifth amendment to the act prohibits unions from taking advantage of members or employers. Unions are not allowed to charge high membership fees. Unions are also not allowed to make employers pay for things that the members do not do.
- The sixth amendment added a free speech clause for employees. Employers have the right to express their opinions about labor issues. Their views do not constitute unfairness, provided the employer is not threatening to withhold benefits or retribution against employees.
ELECTIONS
- The Taft-Hartley Act made changes to how the union election is run, excluding supervisors from bargaining groups and special treatment to professional employees.
- The Taft-Hartley Act created four new types of elections. The first meant the employers had a right to vote on union demands.
- The remaining three allow employees to have the right to elect the union, determining whether a union can negotiate for employees or to withdraw union representation after its grant.
- Congress would revoke the right to governing union shop elections in 1951.
BACKGROUND
- In 1945-1946, after World War II, labor leaders wanted their share of the post-war economic resurgence, but the strike did more damage to the unions than help, and the wages of blue-collar workers fell by 12 percent. The strikes in the U.S. saw nearly 2 million workers that were either striking or in some kind of labor dispute by February 1946.
- The mid-term congressional elections in 1946 left the Republicans in control for the first time since the 1930s. The newly elected congressmen, the majority being conservative, wanting to cancel certain legislations, one of them being the National Labor Relations Act of 1935.
- Republican Senator Robert A Taft and Republican Congressman Fred A Hartley Jr both introduced measures to curtail the power of unions and prevent strikes.
- Taft’s bill passed first with a 38-24 majority vote, but some of the provisions were removed by moderators – one of them was Senator Wayne Morse.
- Hartley’s bill passed with a 308-107 majority vote in the House of Representatives.
- The Taft-Hartley bill would emerge from the conference committee incorporating both the house and senate bills. The bill was pushed by business lobbies, including the National Association of Manufacturers.
- President Truman tried to veto the Taft-Hartley, trying to send a strong message to Congress. Labor leaders would support President Truman and call the act the slave-labor bill. But Congress overrode his veto with strong democratic support, which included 106 out of 177 Democrats in the house and 20 out of 42 Democrats in the Senate.
Taft-Hartley Act Worksheets
This is a fantastic bundle which includes everything you need to know about the Taft-Hartley Act across 27 in-depth pages. These are ready-to-use Taft-Hartley Act worksheets that are perfect for teaching students about the Taft-Hartley Act which is a federal law that prohibits certain union practices and requires disclosure of financial and political activities by unions. The Act was passed in 1947.
Complete List Of Included Worksheets
- Taft-Hartley Act Facts
- Taft-Hartley Act Quiz
- Labor Rights
- Vocabulary
- Cartoon
- Taft-Hartley Act Pop Quiz
- Advert
- True or False
- Fill in the blanks
- Labor Quotes
- Union Logos
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Use With Any Curriculum
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