Home > West's Encyclopedia of American Law > Taft-Hartley Act

Over President HARRY S. TRUMAN's VETO, zthe Taft-Hartley Act—which is also called the Labor-Management Relations Act (29 U.S.C.A. § 141 et seq.)—was passed in 1947 to establish remedies for UNFAIR LABOR PRACTICES committed by unions. It included amendments to the National Labor Relations Act, also known as the WAGNER ACT of 1935 (29 U.S.C.A. § 151 et seq.), which were crafted to counteract the advantage that LABOR UNIONS had gained under the original legislation by imposing corresponding duties on unions. Prior to the amendments, the National Labor Relations Act had proscribed unfair labor practices committed by management.

The principal changes imposed...