State Laws

Introduction

For more than a century, labor law in the United States has been the source of numerous and often passionate debates about the role of unions in the workforce. Over the years, this has resulted in several significant changes in federal policy. The National Labor Relations Act of 1935, the Taft-Hartley act of 1947, and the Labor-Management Reporting and Disclosure Act of 1959 represent significant federal legislation that has shaped the landscape for interactions among workers, employers, and unions. While the federal government plays the leading role in the relationships among the three aforementioned groups, state governments also have the power to establish certain ground rules. This is particularly true for public employees, but state governments can also set labor policies in the private sector as long as they do not interfere with the scheme established by federal laws and regulations. One of the most obvious examples is the...