How did the Taft-Hartley Act affect U.S. labour relations?

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The Code of Hammurabi diorite stela, with carved figures at the top showing Hammurabi seated with cuneiform inscriptions below. — Labour law Diorite stela inscribed with the Code of Hammurabi, 18th century bce.

The Taft–Hartley Act (1947), also known as the Labor–Management Relations Act, significantly shifted U.S. labour relations by amending the pro-union Wagner Act of 1935 to curb perceived union abuses.1

Key impacts on labour relations included:

Individual Rights: While preserving the right to organize and bargain collectively, it guaranteed employees the right to refrain from joining unions.1
Union Restrictions: It outlawed the closed shop and permitted union shops only under specific conditions. It also restricted union political contributions and required officers to deny Communist affiliations under oath.1
Strike Regulation: The act required unions to provide 60 days' notice before striking and authorized the federal government to impose 80-day injunctions if a strike threatened national health or safety.1
Legal Framework: It narrowed the definition of unfair labour practices while explicitly specifying unfair practices committed by unions.1

Enacted over President Harry S. Truman’s veto, the law reflected a post-World War II climate concerned with the growing power of unions and potential Communist infiltration.1