Most of us are aware of the government agencies that were created to better our quality of life: the EPA to keep our air and water clean, OSHA to make our workplaces safe, the FDA to ensure the safety of our medicine. But one acronym you're not likely to know is the NLRB—the National Labor Relations Board. This independent federal agency is charged with enforcing the National Labor Relations Act (NLRA) of 1935. The agency is responsible for protecting workers' rights to organize and form unions, and remedying unfair labor practices from employers and unions alike.

The NLRB administers and enforces provisions of the National Labor Relations Act (NLRA).  This federal law, signed in 1935, regulates relations between unions, employees, and employers in the private sector.  According to the NLRA, "encouraging the practice and procedures of collective bargaining” is the policy of the United States." It provides that if workers decide to form a union, the union and employer are required to engage in good faith negotiations to establish terms and conditions of employment.