Final answer:
The Labor Management Reporting & Disclosure Act (LMRDA) of 1959 is the U.S. act that imposed regulations on internal union affairs and relationships between union officials and union members, ensuring transparency and democracy within labor organizations.
Step-by-step explanation:
The U.S. act that imposed regulations on internal union affairs and the relationship between union officials and union members is known as the Labor Management Reporting & Disclosure Act (LMRDA) of 1959. This act, often referred to as the Landrum-Griffin Act, was designed to protect union members and their participation in union affairs, ensuring transparency and democracy within labor organizations. It includes provisions that regulate the election of union leadership, financial disclosures by unions, reporting and disclosure requirements, and safeguards against financial abuses or undemocratic practices within unions.
The LMRDA was part of a broader context where legislation such as the National Labor Relations Act, also known as the Wagner Act, and the Taft-Hartley Act, played pivotal roles in shaping the landscape of labor-management relations in the United States. These acts served as cornerstones in the legal framework governing labor unions, their members, and their interactions with employers. While the Wagner Act established the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) to enforce workers' rights to unionize and collectively bargain, the Taft-Hartley Act balanced these rights with provisions allowing states to pass right-to-work laws and regulate certain union activities.