TAFT-HARTLEY ACT: A Congressional act passed in 1947 that limited the power acquired by U.S. labor unions during the 1930 and into the 1940s. Officially known as the Labor-Management Relations Act, this outlawed unfair labor practices by labor unions to counterbalance earlier legislation that had outlawed unfair labor practices by firms. The Taft-Hartley Act also set up provisions to decertify unions, if members chose to do so, and allowed states to pass right-to-work laws, which would outlaw union shops. See also | labor union | right-to-work law | unfair labor practice | open shop | union shop | closed shop | AFL-CIO | factor market | monopoly |
