Final answer:
U.S. labor relations laws focus on empowering workers through various regulations, but the legal environment also includes constraints like the Taft-Hartley Act that make it harder for unions to organize, which is not considered an empowering factor.
Step-by-step explanation:
The student's question on U.S. labor relations law omits a factor unrelated to the regulations that have been established to empower workers. The laws passed to ensure a more equitable balance of power between workers and employers include several regulations such as setting minimum hourly wages, setting maximum hours of work, prohibiting child labor, regulating health and safety conditions, preventing discrimination based on various protected characteristics, requiring family leave, and more.
However, there is a notable legal environment that makes it more challenging for unions to organize workers and expand their membership, which is not an empowering factor but rather a constraint. This is partly due to laws like the Taft-Hartley Act of 1947, which allows states to enable workers to opt-out of unions, making the U.S. less union-friendly compared to other countries.