Final answer:
The correct answer is option B. The Wagner Act, also known as the National Labor Relations Act, is legislation that protects workers' rights to organize and engage in collective bargaining.
Step-by-step explanation:
The National Labor Relations Act, commonly known as the Wagner Act, was crucial legislation passed in 1935 that protected workers' rights to form unions and to engage in collective bargaining with employers. It was named after its sponsor, New York Senator Robert Wagner. This act countered previous oppositions to labor rights by ensuring that workers could organize themselves without facing discrimination from employers. Notably, the Wagner Act also established the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) which played a significant role in enforcing the act's provisions, mediating labor disputes, and guaranteeing fair practices in the labor industry.
In response to unfair labor practices and the unconstitutional disbandment of the National Industrial Recovery Act (NIRA), which had initially guaranteed these rights, the Wagner Act was introduced to reinstate government support for collective bargaining. The act made it illegal for employers to discriminate against union members and required them to recognize the legitimacy of a union if the majority of their workers were members. It also protected employees from being fired after strikes and instituted mechanisms to prevent intimidation against workers and union members.
The enactment of the Wagner Act marked a significant shift towards government-secured workers' rights and set the stage for a lasting partnership between labor unions and the Democratic Party, in part due to the strong labor support received by President Roosevelt. However, the law was later modified by the Taft-Hartley Act, which restricted some of the freedoms enabled by the Wagner Act, such as banning closed shops and introducing 'right-to-work' laws in states, which impacted the unionization process.