Final answer:
Requiring workers to join a union after a specified period of time could infringe on workers' rights under the Taft-Hartley Act of 1947, which gives workers the option to opt-out of unions, depending on state laws. The company's policies should align with legal regulations to ensure the legality of such a requirement.
Step-by-step explanation:
If a company wants to require workers to join a union after a specified amount of time, it would potentially violate the workers' rights to choose whether to join the union. This situation relates to the historical context provided by the Taft-Hartley Act of 1947, which allows states the power to decide whether all workers at a firm can be required to join a union as a condition of employment and also gives workers the option to opt-out of union membership. Therefore, imposing a prerequisite for union membership after hiring could infringe upon the workers' rights as provided by the Taft-Hartley Act, depending on state laws. Each state may have different regulations, but the overarching principle of the Act is to afford workers the right to choose.
Furthermore, this policy may also clash with a company's internal policy on union membership, which may initially allow workers not to join the union. If the company's policies are not aligned with the legal environment, it may make the company's actions legally questionable. The legality of compelling union membership has been a subject of debate throughout U.S. labor history, as the legal climate post-World War II has transitioned to become less encouraging for union formation due to legislation like the Taft-Hartley Act.