Which Act proposed to create a new independent agency—the National Labor Relations Board—and gave employees the right, under Section 7, to form and join unions, and it obligated employers to bargain collectively with unions selected by a majority of the employees in an appropriate bargaining unit?

Which Act proposed to create a new independent agency—the National Labor Relations Board—and gave employees the right, under Section 7, to form and join unions, and it obligated employers to bargain collectively with unions selected by a majority of the employees in an appropriate bargaining unit?

• A. Wagner Act
• B. Civil Rights Act
• C. Employee Polygraph Protection Act
• D. Fair Labor Standards Act

Answer: (A)

The key idea here is the Wagner Act, which created the National Labor Relations Board and embedded Section 7 rights for employees to form or join unions and engage in collective bargaining. It established a framework where employees can choose a representative in an appropriate bargaining unit, and employers must bargain in good faith with that majority-approved union. This was part of the New Deal response to labor unrest, giving workers a formal mechanism to negotiate terms and conditions of employment. The Civil Rights Act, the Employee Polygraph Protection Act, and the Fair Labor Standards Act address other workplace issues (discrimination, lie detector use, and minimum wage/overtime, respectively) and do not establish the NLRA or the right to unionize and bargain.

The key idea here is the Wagner Act, which created the National Labor Relations Board and embedded Section 7 rights for employees to form or join unions and engage in collective bargaining. It established a framework where employees can choose a representative in an appropriate bargaining unit, and employers must bargain in good faith with that majority-approved union. This was part of the New Deal response to labor unrest, giving workers a formal mechanism to negotiate terms and conditions of employment. The Civil Rights Act, the Employee Polygraph Protection Act, and the Fair Labor Standards Act address other workplace issues (discrimination, lie detector use, and minimum wage/overtime, respectively) and do not establish the NLRA or the right to unionize and bargain.