The Wagner, Taft-Hartley, And Landrum-Martin Act

Answering the Questions
The role of unions in today’s workplace is still has the responsibility to ensure the rights of workers, and provide an opportunity for their voices to be heard. Issues that are addressed by labor unions include work assignment, compensation, benefits and working conditions. Unions benefit their members (monopoly power), at the expense of higher cost, and requiring responses to employees grievances “voice power”. As a result of little job creation, debt crises, growing fiscal deficits and difficulties in states and local governments a “new normal” to the role of the labor unions have been created. Nevertheless, the “new normal” has affected the role that the union will have to endure. Another role that the union has
changed the union of the past is social programs that may affect the need for employees to organize. As a result, as the growth of government regulations increases there will be a less need for unions but to impact financial outcomes. Therefore, today numbers of employees have increase; on the other hand both private and public sectors have experiences the enrollment numbers of union members on a decline. As a result, many members and nonunion members believe because of the economic proportions the need to organize has been removed. (Fossum, 2015 pp. 16-19)

Answering the Questions
The Wagner, Taft-Hartley, and Landrum-Griffin Acts have a few differences between them in efforts to enhance their effectiveness.
The Wagner Act revamped organizing rights and identified employer unlawful actions. The focal point of the act was to specify the rights of employees to engage in union activities. As a result, Section 7 of this act allows employees to, self-organize, as well as, give contributions to employment organizations. Also, the act allows bargaining of laborious activities for the purpose of collective bargaining, other benefits and/or for employee’s protection. On the other hand, section 8 of this act fundamentally prohibited interfering with the rights of employees. Therefore, the Wagner act formed the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB). The board’s main responsibilities were to determine if it was the employee’s choice to be represented by the union to listen to and rule on suspected unfair labor practices. For that fact, the act established the idea of exclusive representation whereas all employees that chose the union would be represented all employees in unit in bargaining over wages, hours, and employment terms of conditions. Lastly, the Wagner Act did not apply to all employers and employees; for example, federal, state, local government, and those who fall under the umbrella of the Railway Labor Act were exempt from coverage. (Fossum, 2015 pp.
46-47)
The Wagner Act was amended and added to with enactment of the Labor Management Relations Act of 1947, known as the Taft-Hartley Act.
The modification of the Wagner Act incorporated employees to have the right to be excluded from union activities. Also, Congress also enacted a right-to-work laws prohibiting union participates be in included within their employment conditions. This enactment required that negotiations be in moral belief, use strikes as for the benefit for recognition purposes, and lastly, it provided unions a way to pressure involved second parties that go after the primary employer were outlawed. Also, the Taft-Hartley Act provided a national emergency dispute procedure as well as, established the Federal Mediation and Conciliation Service, and nominated numerous unions’ unfair labor practices. Lastly, the Taft-Hartley Act put a halt to the unrestricted administrative initiated change by the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB). The act requires that the decision making should be a subject of a court review instead of government promoting unionization as an offset to big businesses. The union’s role became more of that of an arbitrator. (Fossum, 2015 pp.
52-53)
In 1959, the Landrum-Griffin Act put some degree of the possibility of corruption in union-management relations. “This act established that union members have the right to have freedom of speech, equal voting, control dues increases, and copies of labor agreements under which they worked.” Financial, official reports and financial holdings of union officers and employees were required to be filed. Lastly the administrative activities involved the election of officers and placing the subsidiary bodies’ trusteeship was regulated. (Fossum, 2015 pp. 54-55)

Answering the Questions

The National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) was established by the Wagner Act and has jurisdiction over most for-profit, private-profit, nonprofit employers, hospitals, and the U.S. Postal Service. The act governs whether employees want to have bargaining representation. Also, the act investigates if their rights have been violated. The board acts to help prevent under federal law, unions or businesses committing unfair labor practices. The five member board and several administrative law judges have the expertise in labor-management relations, usually attorneys that are appointed by the president with approval from the Senate. First, if violation has been founded the (NLRB) encourages resolution among the parties whether proceeding in legal action. Nevertheless, the (NLRB) provides the legal framework for those involved in unsettled issue for which there is no clear guidance and if a party is expected to lose in which a delay will benefit the party. Lastly, if a party does not comply with the (NLRB) orders, the board can seek enforcement and review by the U.S. Courts of Appeals.