Basic Guide to the National Labor Relations Act

Powers of the NLRB. To enable the NLRB to perform its duties under the Act, Congress delegated to the 
Agency certain powers that can be used in all cases. These are principally powers having to do with investigations 
and hearings. 
Powers concerning investigations. As previously indicated, all charges that are filed with the Regional Office are 
investigated, as are petitions for representation elections. Section 11 establishes the powers of the Board and the 
Regional Offices in respect to hearings and investigations. The provisions of Section 11(1) authorize the Board or its 
agents to: 
•
Examine and copy “any evidence of any person being investigated or proceeded against that relates to any 
matter under investigation or in question.” 
•
Issues subpoenas, on the application of any party to the proceeding, requiring the attendance and testimony 
of witnesses or the production of any evidence. 
• 
Administer oaths and affirmations, examine witnesses, and receive evidence. 
• 
Obtain a court order to compel the production of evidence or the giving of testimony. 
The Act is remedial, not criminal. The National Labor Relations Act is not a criminal statute. It is entirely 
remedial. It is intended to prevent and remedy unfair labor practices, not to punish the person responsible for them. 
The Board is authorized by Section 10(c) not only to issue a cease-and-desist order, but “to take such affirmative 
action including reinstatement of employees with or without back pay, as will effectuate the policies of this Act.” 
Affirmative action may be ordered by the Board. The object of the Board’s order in any case is twofold: to 
eliminate the unfair labor practice and to undo the effects of the violation as much as possible. In determining what 
the remedy will be in any given case, the Board has considerable discretion. Ordinarily, its order in regard to any 
particular unfair labor practice will follow a standard form that is designed to remedy that unfair labor practice, but 
the Board can, and often does, change the standard order to meet the needs of the case. Typical affirmative action of 
the Board may include orders to an employer who has engaged in unfair labor practices to: 
Examples of affirmative action directed to employers. 
• 
Disestablish an employer-dominated union. 
•
Offer certain named individuals immediate and full reinstatement to their former positions or, if those 
positions no longer exist, to substantially equivalent positions without prejudice to their seniority and other 
rights and privileges, and with backpay, including interest. 
•
On request, bargain collectively with a certain union as the exclusive representative of the employees in a 
certain described unit and sign a written agreement if an understanding is reached. 

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Examples of affirmative action directed to unions. Examples of affirmative action that may be required of a 
union that has engaged in unfair labor practices include orders to: 
•
Notify the employer and the employees that it has no objection to reinstatement of certain employees, or 
employment of certain applicants, whose discriminatory discharge, or denial of employment, was caused 
by the union. 
• 
Refund dues or fees illegally collected, plus interest. 
• 
On request, bargain collectively with a certain employer and sign a written agreement if one is reached. 
The Board’s order usually includes a direction to the employer or the union or both requiring them to post 
notices in the employer’s plant or the union’s office notifying the employees that they will cease the unfair labor 
practices and informing them of any affirmative action being undertaken to remedy the violation. Special care is 
taken to be sure that these notices are readily understandable by the employees to whom they are addressed.