National Labor Relations Board; Functions

The National Labor Relations Board is an independent federal agency created by Congress in 1935 to administer the National Labor Relations Act, the primary law governing relations between unions and employers in the private sector. This statute guarantees the right of employees to organize and bargain collectively with their employers or to refrain from such activity. Generally applying to all employers involved in interstate commerce except agriculture, airlines, railroads, and government the Act implements the national labor policy of assuring free choice and encouraging collective bargaining as a means of maintaining industrial peace. Over the years, Congress has amended the Act and the Board. Courts have developed a body of law drawn from the statute.…