The National Labor Relations Board is an independent federal agency vested with the power to safeguard employees' rights to organize and to determine whether to have unions as their bargaining representative. The chart below details steps in the unfair labor practice process. The second chart outlines the steps in the representation election process.

Visit here for background information on significant cases as well as issues pending before the Board and initiatives undertaken by the General Counsel.

The National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) has counted millions of votes, investigated hundreds of thousands of unfair labor practice charges, and issued thousands of decisions. The numbers tell an important part of the Agency’s story. Making what we do accessible to the public is an important part of the NLRB’s mission. In this section, you will find charts and tables that reflect the Agency’s work, and downloadable data for your own analysis.

Common forms used in NLRB proceedures.

Congress enacted the National Labor Relations Act ("NLRA") in 1935 to protect the rights of employees and employers, to encourage collective bargaining, and to curtail certain private sector labor and management practices, which can harm the general welfare of workers, businesses and the U.S. economy.

NATIONAL LABOR RELATIONS ACT

Also cited NLRA or the Act; 29 U.S.C. §§ 151-169

[Title 29, Chapter 7, Subchapter II, United States Code]

FINDINGS AND POLICIES

If your work-related issue isn’t on this checklist, it could be because it is handled by another federal or state agency.

For questions about wages, tips, work hours, overtime, breaks, vacation pay, or the Family Medical Leave Act, contact the Department of Labor’s Wage and Hour Division at 1-866-487-9243.

For work-related safety and health questions, contact the Occupational Safety and Health Administration at 1-800-321-6742.