Taft-Hartley Act Labor legislation passed by Congress in 1947, officially called the LaborManagement Relations Act. Sponsored by Senator Robert Alphonso Taft of Ohio and Representative Fred Allan Hartley of New Jersey | T Taft-Hartley Act Labor legislation passed by Congress in 1947 officially called the LaborManagement Relations Act. Sponsored by Senator Robert Alphonso Taft of Ohio and Representative Fred Allan Hartley of New Jersey the act amended many provisions of the earlier National Labor Relations Act of 1935 or Wagner Act a law that regulated the labor relations of businesses engaged in interstate commerce. The act enlarged the powers of the National Labor Relations Board and required either unions or employers to file notice of any intent to terminate a collective bargaining agreement and also give notice to government mediation services. For its part the federal government was given the power to obtain an injunction if negotiations broke down between parties and if it judged that the strike endangered public health or safety. The government was empowered to obtain an 80-day injunction against any strike that it determined to be a threat to national health or safety. The act also prohibited jurisdictional strikes between two unions over which should act as the bargaining agent for employees and secondary boycotts against an already organized company doing business with another company that a union was trying to organize. in addition the law did not extend protection to workers on wildcat strikes outlawed the closed shop and permitted the union shop only if a majority of the employees agreed. in addition the law prohibited union officials from being Communists. originally President Harry Truman vetoed the act but nevertheless it has stood the test of time. John L. Lewis also initially opposed it. Generally its most popular and often used power was the government s ability to call for a cooling-off period if negotiations failed and a strike was scheduled. Use of the law declined in the 1980s and 1990s as the labor movement itself became less powerful in calling strikes and work actions. Further reading Lee R. Alton. Truman Taft Hartley A Question of Mandate Lexington .
