The National Labor Relations Act, or NLRA, was enacted in 1935 to protect both workers’ as well as employers’ rights. The Act has evolved over the past eighty+ years to accommodate changes in the U.S. labor movement and the shifting needs of working people. It has also evolved, inevitably, alongside strengthened lobbying efforts by domestic and multinational corporations.

The NLRA spurred the creation of the National Labor Relations Board, commonly referred to as the NLRB or simply “Board” for short. The NLRB, composed of five members appointed by the President, work to protect employees’ rights to bargain collectively. They also handle cases that may violate the NLRA, commonly referred to as “Board charges.”