Taft-Hartley Labor Act

Historical Context Note

Lucas Paul Richert (University of Saskatchewan)

The Literary Encyclopedia. Volume 3.2.4: American (US) Writing and Culture: Postwar and Contemporary, 1945-present.
Vol. editors: Sofia Ahlberg (Uppsala University), Patrick Chura (University of Akron), Emory Elliott (University of California, Riverside), Dale Enggass (University of Utah), Christopher Hugh Gair (University of Glasgow), Matthew Hofer (University of New Mexico), Stephen E. Meats (Pittsburg State University), Kerry Myler (Birmingham Newman University), Justin Parks (UiT - The Arctic University of Norway), Nick Selby (University of East Anglia)

Domains

Legislation (Bills, Acts, Laws ...)

Dates

Date of occurrence 1947-06-20

Places

United States (Location)

Resources

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On 20 June, the Taft-Hartley Act was vetoed by President Truman. Republican majorities in Congress then overrode his veto. A number of factors informed the Act, including fear of Communist infiltration in American unions, the growth in union membership and bargaining power, and a number of high-profile strikes. The Act contained a number of important provisions, in particular that employees had the right not to join a union; that union shops were allowed only when workers voted to permit them; that unions had to give 60 days notice prior to a strike. The Act also authorized federal injunctions when a strike threatened the health and safety of Americans, narrowed the definition of unfair labour practices and restricted union political contributions.

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118 words

Citation: Richert, Lucas Paul. "Taft-Hartley Labor Act". The Literary Encyclopedia. First published 01 November 2008 [https://www.litencyc.com/php/stopics.php?rec=true&UID=5626, accessed 08 May 2024.]

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