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Wagner Act

Wagner Act What was the need for the Wagner Act? Before the WA, rights of workers were protected by the National Industry Recovery Act of 1933. In 1935, the Supreme Court declared the NIRA unconstitutional. By doing so, workers lost their rights to join unions of their choice and to bargain collectively. In 1935 the unemployment rate was over 21% and more than 50% lived in poverty as we measure it today. Large employers were said to have immense control over their workers who had at best, one single place to work. Those workers were paid less than their economic contribution measured by their productivity. Before the WA, the federal government had refrained from supporting collective bargaining over wages and working conditions and from facilitating growth of trade unions. This new law marked a significant reversal of this attitude. American Federation of Labor and CIO took advantage of governmental encouragement by carrying out nationwide organizational campaigns. What was the Wagner ...

Posted by: Tricia F. Doyle

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