Final answer:
The National Labor Relations Act (NLRA), also known as the Wagner Act, is the U.S. act that protected and encouraged union growth by establishing workers' rights to organize and engage in collective bargaining. It led to a significant increase in union membership in the 1930s and established the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) to mediate labor disputes.
Step-by-step explanation:
The National Labor Relations Act (NLRA) and Union Growth
The U.S. act that protected and encouraged the growth of the union movement, established workers' rights to organize and bargain collectively with employers, is known as the National Labor Relations Act (NLRA), also commonly referred to as the Wagner Act.
This significant piece of legislation, sponsored by New York Senator Robert Wagner, was passed in 1935 as part of President Franklin D. Roosevelt's Second New Deal. It played a critical role in increasing union membership during the 1930s and solidified the government's support for collective bargaining.
The Wagner Act reinstated the principle of government support for workers seeking to bargain collectively that had been lost when the National Industrial Recovery Act (NIRA) was declared unconstitutional.
To enforce these protections, the act established the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB), a federal agency tasked with arbitrating disagreements between unions and employers and ensuring fair labor practices. Despite legal challenges and opposition from employers and the Republican Party, the Wagner Act received constitutional sanction by the U.S. Supreme Court in 1937.
However, post World War II witnessed a shift with the passage of the Taft-Hartley Act of 1947, which allowed states to enable workers to opt out of unions and marked a period of decline in union membership. This change indicated a swing in the legal climate, making it less conducive to forming unions. Despite this, the foundation laid by the NLRA continues to influence workers' rights and labor relations in the U.S. today.