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It is important for employers to understand their obligations and responsibilities under the National Labor Relations Act (NLRA). The preamble to the NLRA establishes that it is the policy of the U.S. government to encourage the practice and procedure of collective bargaining. Consistent with that policy, Section 7 of the NLRA gives employees certain rights, and under Section 8(a), it is an unfair labor practice for an employer to interfere with those rights.
For example, employers may not interfere with employees or take adverse action against them when they try to exercise any of their rights under the NLRA, including engaging in group action to address their working conditions or trying to form a union. Once employees have unionized, employers must bargain with the union in good faith about terms and conditions of employment.
The NLRA is enforced by the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB), an independent agency headquartered in Washington D.C., with 48 regional offices throughout the United States.
Please keep in mind that the information contained here may be subject to unstated exceptions, qualifications, and limitations. Employers may also be subject to prohibitions under the NLRA that are not set forth here.
Please select one of the following questions to learn more about the NLRA and to find out whom to contact if you need more information.
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