16. The National Labor Relations Act of 1935
The National Labor Relations Act was born out of the failure of the NRA and the controversial means by which it had supported labor at the expense of management in the eyes of many businessmen and conservatives. The act ensured the right of workers to organize into labor unions of their choice, and guaranteed them the right of collective bargaining with their employers over wage increases, benefits, working conditions, and other areas of contention. At the same time the act created the National Labor Relations Board to help reduce labor stoppages and walkouts. The growth of labor unions became almost exponential following the passage of the act, and organized labor became a solid supporting bloc for the New Deal. The American Federation of Labor and the Congress of Industrial Organization, not yet affiliated with each other, competed for workers to join.
The NLRA led to another piece of legislation three years later, which would be the last legislation enacted as part of the New Deal. In 1938 Congress passed the Fair Labor Standards Act, which forbade the employment of children under the age of sixteen (except in certain categories, such as on farms), established a national minimum wage ($.25 per hour), and a work week of 44 hours. The act, unlike most of the New Deal, was strongly supported by northern business interests and manufacturers as a defense against jobs being taken away by southern interests, where wages were often lower. The establishment of a national minimum wage leveled the playing field in their view and they successfully lobbied the conservative members of Congress to pass the bill.