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Basic Guide to the National Labor Relations Act |
General Principles of Law Under the Statute and
Procedures of the National Labor Relations Board
This is a revised edition of a pamphlet
originally issued in 1962. It provides a basic framework for a better
understanding of the National Labor Relations Act and its administration.
A special chart that arranges systematically
the types of cases in which an employer or a labor organization may be involved
under the Act, including both unfair labor practice cases and representation
election proceedings, appears in the booklet.
Prepared in the Office of the
General Counsel
NATIONAL LABOR RELATIONS BOARD
U.S. GOVERNMENT
PRINTING OFFICE WASHINGTON. . 1997
For sale by the
Superintendent of Documents, U.S. Government Printing Office Washington, D.C.
20402
Table of
Contents
Summary of the Act........................................................................................................... 1–1
Purpose of
the Act............................................................................................................................................................. 1
What the Act
provides...................................................................................................................................................... 1
How the Act
is enforced.................................................................................................................................................... 1
How this
material is organized.......................................................................................................................................... 1
The Rights of Employees.................................................................................................. 2–5
The Section 7 Rights,................................................................................................................................................ 2
Examples
of Section 7 rights............................................................................................................................. 2
Union Security............................................................................................................................................................ 2
Union-security
agreements............................................................................................................................... 2
Requirements
for union-security agreements................................................................................................ 2
Prehire
agreements in the construction industry........................................................................................... 2
The Right to Strike................................................................................................................................................... 3
Lawful
and unlawful strikes.............................................................................................................................. 3
Strikes
for a lawful object.................................................................................................................................. 4
Economic
strikers defined................................................................................................................................. 4
Unfair
labor practice strikers defined............................................................................................................... 4
Strikes
unlawful because of purpose............................................................................................................... 4
Strikes
unlawful because of timing—Effect of no-strike contract............................................................... 4
Same—Strikes
at end of contract period......................................................................................................... 5
Strikes
unlawful because of misconduct of strikers...................................................................................... 5
The Right to Picket................................................................................................................................................... 5
Collective Bargaining and Representation of Employees........................................ 6–13
Collective Bargaining............................................................................................................................................... 6
Duty
to bargain imposed on both employer and union................................................................................ 6
Bargaining
steps to end or change a contact................................................................................................. 6
When
the bargaining steps are not required.................................................................................................. 6
The Employee Representative.................................................................................................................................. 7
What
is an appropriate bargaining unit.......................................................................................................... 7
How
the appropriateness of a unit is determined.......................................................................................... 7
Who
can or cannot be included in a unit........................................................................................................ 7
Duties
of bargaining representative and employer....................................................................................... 8
How
a Bargaining Representative Is Selected...................................................................................................... 8
Petition
for certification of representatives.................................................................................................... 8
Petition
for decertification election.................................................................................................................. 8
Union-security
deauthorization........................................................................................................................ 8
Purpose
of investigation and hearing............................................................................................................. 8
Jurisdiction
to conduct an election.................................................................................................................. 9
Expedited
elections under Section 8(b)(7)(C)................................................................................................. 9
Showing
of interest required............................................................................................................................. 9
Existence
of question of representation.......................................................................................................... 9
Who
can qualify as bargaining representative.............................................................................................. 9
Bars to Election.......................................................................................................................................................... 10
Existing
collective-bargaining contract........................................................................................................... 10
Time
provisions.................................................................................................................................................. 10
When
a petition can be filed if there is an existing contract........................................................................ 10
Effect
of certification.......................................................................................................................................... 10
Effect
of prior election........................................................................................................................................ 11
When
a petition can be filed if there has been a prior election................................................................... 11
The Representation Election.................................................................................................................................... 11
Consent-election
agreements........................................................................................................................... 11
Who
determines election matters..................................................................................................................... 11
Who
may vote in a representation election.................................................................................................... 11
When
strikers may be allowed to vote............................................................................................................ 12
When
elections are held.................................................................................................................................... 12
Conduct
of elections.......................................................................................................................................... 12
Unfair Labor Practices of Employers........................................................................... 14–22
Section 8(a)(1)—Interference with Section 7 Rights......................................................................................... 14
Examples
of violations of Section 8(a)(1)........................................................................................................ 14
Section 8(a)(2)—Domination or Illegal Assistance and Support
of a Labor
Organization............................................................................................................................................................ 14
Domination.......................................................................................................................................................... 14
Illegal
assistance and support.......................................................................................................................... 14
Examples
of violations of Section 8 (a) (2)...................................................................................................... 15
Remedy
in cases of domination differs from that in cases of illegal assistance
and support...................................................................................................................................................... 15
Section 8(a)(3)—Discrimination Against Employees......................................................................................... 15
The
union-security exception to Section 8(a)(3)............................................................................................ 15
The
Act does not limit employer’s right to discharge for economic reasons........................................... 16
Examples
of violations of Section 8(a)(3)........................................................................................................ 16
Section 8(a)(4)—Discrimination for NLRB Activity.......................................................................................... 16
Examples
of violations of Section 8 (a) (4)...................................................................................................... 17
Section 8(a)(5)—Refusal to Bargain in Good Faith............................................................................................. 17
Types
of Cases...................................................................................................................................................... 18–19
Required
subjects of bargaining...................................................................................................................... 20
Duty
to bargain defined..................................................................................................................................... 20
What
constitutes a violation of Section 8 (a) (5)........................................................................................... 20
Duty
to meet and confer.................................................................................................................................... 20
Duty
to supply information............................................................................................................................... 20
Multiemployer
bargaining................................................................................................................................. 20
Duty
to refrain from unilateral action............................................................................................................... 20
Duty
of successor employers........................................................................................................................... 21
Examples
of violations of Section 8 (a) (5)...................................................................................................... 21
Section 8(e)—Entering a Hot Cargo Agreement................................................................................................. 21
What
is prohibited.............................................................................................................................................. 21
Exceptions
for construction and garment industries.................................................................................... 21
Unfair Labor Practices of Labor Organizations......................................................... 23–32
Section 8(b)(1)(A)—Restraint and Coercion of Employees................................................................................ 23
Section
8(b)(1)(A) compared with Section 8(a)(1)......................................................................................... 23
What
violates Section 8(b)(1)(A)..................................................................................................................... 23
Examples
of violations of Section 8(b)(1)(A).................................................................................................. 23
Section 8(b)(1)(B)—Restraint and Coercion of Employers................................................................................ 24
Examples
of violations of Section 8(b)(1)(B).......................................................................................................... 24
Section 8(b)(2)—Causing or Attempting to Cause Discrimination................................................................. 24
What
violates Section 8(b)(2)........................................................................................................................... 25
Illegal
hiring hall agreements and practices.................................................................................................... 25
Illegal
union-security agreements.................................................................................................................... 25
Examples
of violations of Section 8(b)(2)........................................................................................................ 25
Section 8(b)(3)—Refusal to Bargain in Good Faith............................................................................................. 26
Examples
of violations of Section 8(b)(3)........................................................................................................ 26
Section 8(b)(4)—Prohibited Strikes and Boycotts.............................................................................................. 27
Proscribed
action: Inducing or encouraging a strike work stoppage, or boycott.................................... 27
Proscribed
action: Threats, coercion, and restraint....................................................................................... 27
Subparagraph
(A)—Prohibited object: Compelling membership in an employer
or labor organization or compelling a hot
cargo agreement...................................................................... 28
Examples
of violations of Section 8(b)(4)(A).................................................................................................. 28
Subparagraph
(B)—Prohibited object: Compelling recognition of an uncertified
union.................................................................................................................................................................. 28
Examples
of violations of Section 8(b)(4)(B).................................................................................................. 28
When
an employer is not protected from secondary strikes or boycotts................................................. 28
When
a union may picket an employer who shares a site with another employer................................... 29
Picketing
contractors’ gates............................................................................................................................. 29
Subparagraph
(B)—Prohibited object: Compelling recognition of an uncertified
union.................................................................................................................................................................. 30
Subparagraph
(C)—Prohibited object: Compelling
recognition of a union if
another union has been certified................................................................................................................... 30
Subparagraph
(D)—Prohibited object: Compelling assignment of certain work to
certain employees............................................................................................................................................ 30
Publicity
such as handbilling allowed by Section 8(b)(4)............................................................................ 30
Section 8(b)(5)—Excessive or Discriminatory Membership Fees.................................................................... 30
Examples
of violations of Section 8(b) (5)....................................................................................................... 30
Section 8(b)(6)—”Featherbedding”....................................................................................................................... 31
Section 8(b)(7)—0rganizational and Recognitionai Picketing by
Noncertifled
Unions....................................................................................................................................................................... 31
Publicity
picketing.............................................................................................................................................. 31
Expedited
elections under Section 8(b)(7) (C)................................................................................................ 31
Examples
of violations of Section 8(b) (7)....................................................................................................... 32
Section 8(e)—Entering a Hot Cargo Agreement................................................................................................. 32
Section 8(g)—Striking or Picketing a Health Care Institution
Without Notice.......................................... 32
How the Act Is Enforced.................................................................................................. 33–39
Organization of the NLRB....................................................................................................................................... 33
The Board-The General
Counsel-The Regional Offices............................................................................... 33
Functions of the NLRB...................................................................................................................................... 33
Authority of the NLRB.............................................................................................................................................. 33
Enterprises
whose operations affect commerce............................................................................................. 33
What
is commerce.............................................................................................................................................. 33
When
the operations of an employer affect commerce................................................................................ 33
The
Board does not act in all cases affecting commerce.............................................................................. 34
NLRB
jurisdictional standards.......................................................................................................................... 34
The
Act does not cover certain individuals................................................................................................... 35
Supervisor
defined............................................................................................................................................. 36
The
Act does not cover certain employers.................................................................................................... 36
NLRB Procedures..................................................................................................................................................... 36
Procedure
in representation cases................................................................................................................... 36
Procedure
in unfair labor practice cases......................................................................................................... 37
The
6-month rule limiting issuance of complaint........................................................................................... 37
Appeal
to the General Counsel if complaint is not issued........................................................................... 37
Powers of the NLRB.................................................................................................................................................. 37
Powers
concerning investigations................................................................................................................... 37
The
Act is remedial, not criminal...................................................................................................................... 38
Affirmative
action may be ordered by the Board........................................................................................... 38
Examples
of affirmative action directed to employers................................................................................... 38
Examples
of affirmative action directed to unions......................................................................................... 38
Special Proceedings in Certain Cases.................................................................................................................. 38
Proceedings
in jurisdictional disputes............................................................................................................ 38
The
investigation of certain charges must be given priority....................................................................... 39
Injunction
proceedings under Section 10(1).................................................................................................. 39
Injunctive
relief may be sought in other cases.............................................................................................. 39
Court Enforcement of Board Orders...................................................................................................................... 39
In
the U.S. court of appeals............................................................................................................................... 39
Review
by the U.S. Supreme Court.................................................................................................................. 39
Conclusion.......................................................................................................................... 40
Supplements
Chart, “Types of Cases”...................................................................................................................................... 18–19