The Wagner Act and how the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) was created

   The Wagner Act of 1935, also known as the National Labor Relations Act, guarantees the right of workers to organize, as well as the framework for labor unions, and also establishes the federal government as the regulator of labor relations. Here, I examine the act upon which it was created, and the effects of its establishment.

    The process started in the fall of 1934, when Senator Wagner began going over his labor disputes bill, and he was determined to solve their current "enforcement" problem with labor disputes. Wagner then introduced the "Wagner" Bill that proposed to create an independent agency, called the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB), which would be made up of three members appointed by the President and confirmed by the Senate to, rather than mediate disputes, enforce the rights of employees. As mentioned previously, it gave the workers the right to form labor unions, obligating them to aim for collective bargaining agreements with the selected unions. The National Labor Relations Board would then have the power to conduct secret ballot elections to decide whether the employees in a labor industry could be represented by labor unions, and to prevent unfair labor practices.

   Today, the National Labor Relations Board still stands, however with five members rather than three, and each of the members has a five year term. Still today, the purpose of the NLRB is the same as when it was established in 1935, and it remains as the most important piece of labor legislation passed in the United States in the 20th century.