ABA Family Legal Guide

Law and the Workplace

On the Job

Unions in the Workplace

How does the National Labor Relations Act (NLRA) regulate the union-employer relationship?

First, the NLRA gives employees certain rights and prohibits employers and unions from interfering with those rights. Second, the NLRA sets up a mechanism by which employees can vote by secret ballot on whether they want a union to represent them in the workplace. Third, it requires employers and unions to engage in collective bargaining, and regulates the type of employer and union tactics that may occur during the course of collective bargaining.