Congress passed the National Labor Relations Act in July 1935. The act is also known as the Wagner-Connery Act, after its sponsors, Senator Robert Wagner of New York and Representative William Connery of Massachusetts. The act created the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) and guaranteed most workers the right to collective bargaining and to form unions. The right to collective bargaining meant that workers were able to elect representatives to negotiate for them with employers over wages and working conditions. The Wagner-Connery Act gave the NLRB two main duties. First, it ensured that employers did not use unfair labor practices or try to interfere or block labor unions from organizing. Second, the NLRB guaranteed that workers were able to choose the union and elect the union officers that represented them. The Wagner-Connery Act was a victory for labor unions because it required employers to negotiate with them. However, the NLRB’s role as mediator, or referee, between employers and workers weakened unions by limiting their use of the strike against employers. The gains made by labor unions with the Wagner-Connery Act were effectively turned back in 1947 by the passage of the Taft-Hartley Act.
