National Labor Relations Act

This act governs organizing for private sector and non-profit employees like Head Start workers.

What Are Your Rights as an Employee Under the NLRA?

• Forming, or attempting to form, a union among the employees of your employer.
• Joining a union whether the union is recognized by your employer or not.
• Assisting a union in organizing your fellow employees.
• Engaging in protected concerted activities. Generally, “protected concerted activity” is group activity which seeks to modify wages or working conditions.

Examples of Employer Conduct Which Violate the NLRA:

• Threatening employees with loss of jobs or benefits if they join or vote for a union or engage in protected concerted activity.
• Threatening to close the location if employees select a union to represent them.
• Questioning employees about their union sympathies or activities in circumstances that tend to interfere with, restrain or coerce employees in the exercise of their rights under the Act.
• Promising benefits to employees to discourage their union support.
• Transferring, laying off, terminating or assigning employees more difficult work tasks because they engaged in union or protected concerted activity.