Joint Employment and the National Labor Relations Act

The National Labor Relations Act (NLRA) recognizes the right of most private sector employees to engage in collective bargaining through their chosen representatives. By “encouraging the practice and procedure of collective bargaining,” the act attempts to mitigate and eliminate the causes of labor-related obstructions that impair the free flow of commerce.

The NLRA prohibits employers from interfering with, restraining, or coercing employees in the exercise of their collective bargaining rights. The act also restricts employers from refusing to bargain collectively with the unions that represent their employees.