Norris-LaGuardia Act
Encyclopedia
The Norris–La Guardia Act (also known as the Anti-Injunction Bill) was a 1932 United States federal law that banned yellow-dog contract
s, barred federal courts
from issuing injunction
s against nonviolent labor disputes, and created a positive right of noninterference by employers against workers joining trade union
s. The common title followed from the names of the sponsors of the legislation: Senator
George W. Norris of Nebraska
and Representative
Fiorello H. La Guardia of New York
, both Republicans
.
, were unenforceable in federal court.
The Act established as United States law that employees should be free to form unions without employer interference, and also withdrew from the federal courts
jurisdiction relative to the issuance of injunctions in nonviolent labor disputes. No federal court can offer jurisdiction. The three provisions include protecting worker's self-organization and liberty, removing jurisdiction from federal courts, and outlawing the "yellow dog" contract.
Section 13A of the act was fully applied by the Supreme Court of the United States
in New Negro Alliance v. Sanitary Grocery Co.
, in which, in an opinion authored by Justice
Owen Roberts, the Court held that the act meant to prohibit employers from proscribing the peaceful dissemination of information concerning the terms and conditions of employment by those involved in an active labor dispute, even when such dissemination occurs on employer property.
Yellow-dog contract
A yellow-dog contract is an agreement between an employer and an employee in which the employee agrees, as a condition of employment, not to be a member of a labor union...
s, barred federal courts
United States federal courts
The United States federal courts make up the judiciary branch of federal government of the United States organized under the United States Constitution and laws of the federal government.-Categories:...
from issuing injunction
Injunction
An injunction is an equitable remedy in the form of a court order that requires a party to do or refrain from doing certain acts. A party that fails to comply with an injunction faces criminal or civil penalties and may have to pay damages or accept sanctions...
s against nonviolent labor disputes, and created a positive right of noninterference by employers against workers joining trade union
Trade union
A trade union, trades union or labor union is an organization of workers that have banded together to achieve common goals such as better working conditions. The trade union, through its leadership, bargains with the employer on behalf of union members and negotiates labour contracts with...
s. The common title followed from the names of the sponsors of the legislation: Senator
United States Senate
The United States Senate is the upper house of the bicameral legislature of the United States, and together with the United States House of Representatives comprises the United States Congress. The composition and powers of the Senate are established in Article One of the U.S. Constitution. Each...
George W. Norris of Nebraska
Nebraska
Nebraska is a state on the Great Plains of the Midwestern United States. The state's capital is Lincoln and its largest city is Omaha, on the Missouri River....
and Representative
United States House of Representatives
The United States House of Representatives is one of the two Houses of the United States Congress, the bicameral legislature which also includes the Senate.The composition and powers of the House are established in Article One of the Constitution...
Fiorello H. La Guardia of New York
New York
New York is a state in the Northeastern region of the United States. It is the nation's third most populous state. New York is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south, and by Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont to the east...
, both Republicans
Republican Party (United States)
The Republican Party is one of the two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Democratic Party. Founded by anti-slavery expansion activists in 1854, it is often called the GOP . The party's platform generally reflects American conservatism in the U.S...
.
Overview
The Act stated that yellow-dog contracts, where a worker agreed as a condition of employment that he would not join a labor unionTrade union
A trade union, trades union or labor union is an organization of workers that have banded together to achieve common goals such as better working conditions. The trade union, through its leadership, bargains with the employer on behalf of union members and negotiates labour contracts with...
, were unenforceable in federal court.
The Act established as United States law that employees should be free to form unions without employer interference, and also withdrew from the federal courts
United States federal courts
The United States federal courts make up the judiciary branch of federal government of the United States organized under the United States Constitution and laws of the federal government.-Categories:...
jurisdiction relative to the issuance of injunctions in nonviolent labor disputes. No federal court can offer jurisdiction. The three provisions include protecting worker's self-organization and liberty, removing jurisdiction from federal courts, and outlawing the "yellow dog" contract.
Section 13A of the act was fully applied by the Supreme Court of the United States
Supreme Court of the United States
The Supreme Court of the United States is the highest court in the United States. It has ultimate appellate jurisdiction over all state and federal courts, and original jurisdiction over a small range of cases...
in New Negro Alliance v. Sanitary Grocery Co.
New Negro Alliance v. Sanitary Grocery Co.
New Negro Alliance v. Sanitary Grocery Co., 303 U.S. 552 , was a landmark United States Supreme Court decision in the jurisprudence of the United States, safeguarding a right to boycott and in the struggle by African Americans against discriminatory hiring practices.-External links:**...
, in which, in an opinion authored by Justice
Associate Justice of the Supreme Court of the United States
Associate Justices of the Supreme Court of the United States are the members of the Supreme Court of the United States other than the Chief Justice of the United States...
Owen Roberts, the Court held that the act meant to prohibit employers from proscribing the peaceful dissemination of information concerning the terms and conditions of employment by those involved in an active labor dispute, even when such dissemination occurs on employer property.
External links
- Norris-LaGuardia Act from The International Brotherhood of Boilermakers, Iron Ship Builders, Blacksmiths, Forgers and Helpers (PDFPortable Document FormatPortable Document Format is an open standard for document exchange. This file format, created by Adobe Systems in 1993, is used for representing documents in a manner independent of application software, hardware, and operating systems....
) - New Negro Alliance v. Sanitary Grocery Co.